Ginny Weasley and the Curse of the Lost
by RJ Hunt
Summary: Prisoner of Azkaban from Ginny's point of view. Second installment in the Ginny Weasley series. Harry Potter led a life of suspense, what he never realized was Ginny had her own mess of problems to deal with each year as well. Now she is barely old enough to be courted and suitors are looming, but arranged marriages never really worked out for her family since their beginning...
1. Chapter 1: Egypt

**A/N: Welcome back readers! If you are new, this is the SECOND installment of a canon-based story from Ginny's point of view. (An Ender's Shadow to Ender's Game of sorts.) We started with her first year during Harry's story in Chamber of Secrets, it is completed and called Ginny Weasley and the Very Secret Diary, and is about the same overall word length as Deathly Hallows. I highly recommend you read her first story before this one and a link for it can be found in my profile! We continue here for the duration of Prisoner of Azkaban. PoA is interesting in that Ginny has melted so far into the background of canon she is _almost_ non-existent which gave me tons of license in the creativity department! We're going to follow the same format as the previous installment: chapters' timelines will line up (as closely as possible) with the corresponding chapters from Harry's story and as before my intention is that readers will be able to read this story in tandem with the original chapter by chapter. Finally, anywhere Ginny's story and Harry's story overlap and JKR's words are quoted they will be in bold and numbered. Footnotes at the bottom of the chapters will denote book and page numbers of the original American versions where any quotes can be found in canon. As before I will do my best to keep these to a minimum and focus on keeping this to a true Ginny-centric story with her own life, her own friends, and their own character arcs. Thank you to all my loyal returning readers and reviewers! You keep me inspired to keep going!**

Chapter One: Egypt

"_Penny_ for your thoughts?"

Ginny looked up from her summer Transfiguration essay, and grinned in amusement at her brother, George, teasing their elder brother, Percy.

"Percy wouldn't give up any _pennies_, George," carried on Fred, George's twin, "because I hear Perfect Prefect Percy is a _Penny Pincher_!"

Percy's face turned scarlet and he glared at Ginny as he angrily shoved his chair away from the kitchen table and stormed upstairs to his room.

"Hey! He was looking over my Transfiguration!" said Ginny, with more amusement than indignation in her voice. Though she had welcomed Percy volunteering to help her with her summer essays, she enjoyed watching the twins torment him over his "secret" girlfriend, Penelope, far more.

Last Christmas, she had caught Percy making out with another prefect at Hogwarts, and his hands were not anywhere their mum would have deemed appropriate while the two were alone. Initially, Ginny had agreed to keep quiet about the incident, but only on the condition that Percy owed her a big favor, should she ever need one.

Months later she had called in the favor to help get her out of major trouble, but Percy had refused. His rather snippy, "No," had nearly resulted in Ginny losing her life to a manipulative and powerful memory-version of Lord Voldemort himself. Thankfully, with the help of a very fierce unicorn foal who sounded the early alarm, and the brilliance of yet another brother, Ron, and his two friends, Harry and Hermione, Ginny was spared.

As per Weasley sibling decreed punishment for breaking a deal with one another, Percy was to be tormented for as long as possible. Ginny couldn't think of a better way to do so than to spill his secret girlfriend to their prankster twin brothers and for the past month, since their train ride home from school, they've managed to come up with new ways to needle Percy about Penny.

"I thought that was why the Lovegood girl was here," replied Fred, nodding towards Ginny's homework.

"We've just been comparing essays when she comes over to study the gnomes," replied Ginny shaking her head, "but Percy was actually helping me."

"Perfect Percy is already finished with his summer essays," interjected George. "Probably can't help but try to do ours as well," he scoffed. Suddenly the twins stared at each other intensely and identical evil grins cracked across their faces.

"Bye, Ginny!" said Fred.

"We have a sudden hankering for homework ourselves," said George, holding back a laugh. The two of them sped upstairs and not long after Ginny could hear them hollering in protest as Percy had apparently denied helping them after their teasing.

Ginny was just writing the finishing touches of her Transfiguration essay when Ron came banging down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Have you seen Errol?" he asked, throwing down a letter addressed to Hermione Granger onto the table. It collided with Ginny's inkwell and nearly made it spill all over her freshly completed homework assignment.

She snapped out her hand quick as lightning and steadied the inkwell, grinding her teeth in the process. Ron had been getting on her nerves lately. At first, she had been grateful for his participation in saving her from Tom Riddle, but he'd used that incident one too many times to get her to do his chores recently and Ginny was no longer feeling so grateful.

"Errol should be back today. I sent him to Hogwarts with a letter to Colin."

"You're NOT supposed to use him for long trips like that!" exclaimed Ron.

"Mum gave me permission—" started Ginny.

"HOW am I supposed to use him to get a letter to Hermione and tell her not to call Harry's house? Errol is going to be exhausted!"

Ginny smirked at Ron's failed attempt to call Harry Potter at his aunt and uncle's house the day before and started packing her Transfiguration homework back into her book bag.

Ron turned towards the basket of apples on the counter and began to wash one in the sink, "What if Errol doesn't get back before we leave for Egypt? Then he'll have to fly there and he'll be too tired to send to Harry with a birthday present . . ."

Ginny quietly got out of her chair while her brother was occupied at the sink and slipped out the back door; leaving Ron to continue moaning to an empty kitchen.

She spied her mum out near the creak doing some last-minute laundry before their trip and paused for a moment. Her mum was waving her wand much like an orchestra conductor, keeping several charms going at once. One for washing the laundry, another for rinsing, another for scrubbing particularly nasty mud stains out of the robes of twins from their Quidditch practices, another for sending the clean laundry to line. ("Clothes just don't get that clean wind and sunshine smell when dried magically, unless you spell the scent on as well!")

Ginny knew her mum was a talented witch who didn't let being a house-wife deter her in practicing her craft. Her mum used every opportunity to challenge herself to become stronger in her magic and often kept multiple complex spells going around the house until it was tidy to her satisfaction.

Suddenly there was a hissing sound from the garden, Ginny's original destination. She tore her eyes away from watching her mother work and rounded the corner of the garden wall where a girl with a familiar cascade of white-blonde ringlets was drawing in a sketch pad while simultaneously nursing a wound on her left hand.

"How's the research going?" asked Ginny, gesturing to the drawing of a common garden gnome.

"Oh, very well!" smiled Luna Lovegood. "Thank you for asking your parents if it would be alright if I studied them for my father's article."

"No problem." Ginny watched as Luna set down her sketch pad and attempted to pet a particularly vicious looking gnome.

Predictably the gnome bit Luna, in nearly the exact same spot the first one had.

Luna hissed again in pain, and instinctually nearly brought her hand to her mouth. She caught herself just in time and took a deep breath and instead shook her hand to ease the pain.

"Are you sure this is how you want to study them?" asked Ginny hesitantly.

"Oh, yes. Daddy and I are studying and writing about the correlation of a person's increased luck after being bitten and I thought perhaps a person's luck could increase _more_ if bitten more than once. I made sure to get bit in the same spot to be especially accurate."

Luna looked exceptionally proud of herself, and Ginny let out an exasperated sigh.

"As long as you're okay."

"I'll be fine." Luna nodded along with her statement and smiled. "Have you thought about what you're going to do while you're abroad?"

"Not really," replied Ginny. Her father had recently won a large sum of gold in the_ Daily Prophet's_ Annual Drawing and he scrambled at work shortly afterwards to take the family to Egypt before term started again at Hogwarts.

"As long as I get to see the Lost Library in Alexandria, I'll be happy."

"Are you staying in Alexandria?" asked Luna.

"No, we'll be in Cairo where Bill works. He's going to show us around in his down time. He just came off a big temporary job in South America and some of his holiday time will coincide with our time in Egypt before he goes back to his usual work with the pyramids. Charlie will be there too!"

"How is Charlie? Still studying dragons?"

"Yeah. He's starting his third year I think? A couple more and he'll be a certified Dragonologist. He spent most of his summer off with Bill in South America. Bill was contracted out from Gringotts and was working some high profile case for the Burkes and when some of the traps turned out to be magical creatures he convinced them to bring in Charlie as the magizoologist."

"Where in South America?"

Ginny racked her brain trying to remember where they had been sent.

"Peru? I'm pretty sure it was Peru."

"That sounds so exciting," said Luna, her blue eyes shining.

Ginny shrugged. "Probably was for them."

"Well, I should return home, Daddy will want to see the effects of being twice bitten just as much as I do."

The two girls got up, dusted the garden debris off from themselves, and headed inside. Mrs. Weasley was back from the creak and inside beginning supper for the family.

"Luna, dear!"

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley."

"I'm so glad you stopped by today. I wanted to be sure that you were able to watch our chickens again while we were away. Merlin, we're going to be gone for a whole month!" Ginny's mum looked dismayed at the idea of not being home to clean and look after the house herself for such a long period of time, but she knew her mum was looking forward to the holiday in Egypt.

"Of course," replied Luna. "It will give me plenty of time to study the gnomes uninterrupted as well. And tell Mr. Weasley I said congratulations on winning the Grand Prize at the _Daily Prophet_."

Ginny could tell her mum, thought Luna's gnome endeavor was just as pointless as Ginny thought it was, but her mum always indulged Luna.

"Thank you, dear. Seven hundred Galleons, can you imagine? I was all in a dither when I first heard! Well, I'll let you get on home and I'll leave instructions on the kitchen counter for you." She reached out to run her hands through Luna's long thick curls. "And we'll fix these split ends you've developed over the last year when we return."

Luna smiled brightly and nodded her head in agreement. "I look forward to it." Luna walked to their fireplace and pulled a small satchel on a string around her neck. She dumped some of the contents into her hand and threw them into the grate while shouting "The Rook!" and whooshed out of sight in a swirl of bright green flames.

"I tell her every day that she doesn't need to bring her own Floo Powder," said Ginny's mum, shaking her head.

"She's just being polite," countered Ginny. "You know she's extremely observant and she knows it's hard for us. . .even with our winnings."

Her mum pursed her lips but didn't disagree. "Poor child."

Ginny knew that was her mum's saying whenever she decided to let Luna do as Luna does. Molly Weasley had been doing as much as she could to mother Luna every chance she got ever since Luna's own mother had passed away three years previously.

: : : : :

It was early on a hot summer day, nearing the end of July, and the Weasley family had just finished loading into a borrowed Ministry vehicle. They were headed to the Ministry of Magic, specifically the Department of International Magical Cooperation to take a Portkey to Egypt's equivalent office.

"Why can't we just Floo from home?" moaned Ron, who was crammed into the very last row of the small bus sized Ministry van, Scabbers in a cage on his lap.

Ginny was seated on the far inside of the middle row and felt their mum sigh heavily next to her.

"Dad already explained," snapped Ginny. "It's inappropriate!"

"A wizard of one nation popping unannounced into another is the same as a wizard Apparating directly into another wizard's home," volunteered Percy automatically, who was seated on the other side of Molly in the middle row, closest to the door.

"If I only had a _penny_ for every time Percy spewed out unwanted trivia," muttered Fred. Ron and George snickered while Percy went bright red. Thankfully, Molly didn't seem to notice.

"Excellent use of a Muggle colloquialism!" exclaimed Arthur, the Weasley kids' father, who was sitting in the front passenger seat near the driver.

"Thanks, dad!" said Fred, laughingly. "We really enjoy the book you gave us for the trip, especially the bits about Muggle coin currency."

Ginny noticed that the red around Percy's ears was creeping down his neck towards his collarbone, an indication that his embarrassment was turning into anger. The twins and Ron must've noticed as well, as they all grinned at each other even more broadly than they already were.

The Ministry vehicle brought them to a quiet neighborhood and Arthur herded the family down the visitor's entrance a few at a time. There was a short delay while Ginny and Ron registered their wands as neither of them had visited the Ministry since receiving them and the guard gave Ron's wand a look of contempt.

"Why do I need to register _my_ wand?" whined Ron. "Aren't I getting a new one soon anyway?"

"After we get back yes," answered Arthur, "but for now, it's your identification while abroad."

Ron rolled his eyes and carefully stowed his wand back into its pocket. "Useless," he muttered.

Arthur shuffled them all to the main atrium where witches and wizards were appearing in the fireplaces on their way to work in the morning. At the Department of International Cooperation office, Arthur shook hands with a man with a short straight mustache.

"Barty!"

"Morning, Arthur."

"Everyone, this is Mr. Barty Crouch, Head of the Department. All International Portkeys go through his office."

All of the Weasley kids nodded their heads in greeting.

"Barty, you remember my wife, Molly, and our third eldest, Percy? He's been here before, Prefect last time you saw him but Head Boy this year! Just got his letter yesterday in fact!"

Mr. Crouch looked Percy up and down and stuck out his hand but while doing so promptly looked back in Arthur's direction, "Head Boy! Congratulations Arthur! Didn't you say one of your other boys had the honor a few years ago?"

"Yes, Bill. That's who were on our way to visit actually."

Mr. Crouch looked back at Percy, "You let me know if you have any aspirations in joining the Ministry, we already let Bill slip away. Adventuring around the world digging up buried gold and lost treasures now isn't he?"

Percy nodded, unsure of himself in front of someone with such a dominating personality.

"Well there are plenty of adventures right here, helping our fellow wizards if you ask me."

"Yes, sir," agreed Percy.

"And these are the twins, Fred and George," continued Arthur. "Our youngest boy, Ron, and of course Ginny there. She's starting her second year at Hogwarts this fall."

Mr. Crouch nodded to each of the younger Weasley children in turn, Ginny thought she might have seen one of his eyebrows twitch when he gave her a once over, however he immediately brought the conversation back to Arthur. "Perkins, from your office, he'll be in charge during your absence?" He signaled a witch who was sitting at a desk collecting memos as they flew in.

"Oh, yes. I'm sure he'll manage."

"Excellent," Mr. Crouch held a hand out to the witch and she flipped through a folder and pulled out a piece of parchment for him. Mr. Crouch gave it a quick scan before continuing, "Your Portkey is due to leave in precisely 12 minutes. We should get your family ready." Mr. Crouch led them to a room down the hall from his office.

The room was empty save for a frayed old newspaper lying on a table. All the Weasleys circled Arthur as he picked it up and held it out to the middle. Mr. Crouch stood at the door, to observe the Portkey worked properly and to stay out of its way.

Ginny, already accustomed to traveling by Portkey, watched Mr. Crouch curiously, until his gaze began to linger on her. Instinctively, she shrank farther back behind her mother and the twins.

"Two Head Boys and you got the Weasley Girl in your family? You could be doing big things Arthur, big things!" It seemed Mr. Crouch was hinting at a conversation he'd had with Arthur before. "I could help with arrangements. I'm well connected of course." He nodded in Ginny's direction.

Arthur kept the sudden blazing look in his eye in check. "My wife and I will continue to handle our own affairs and those of our children, thank you," he replied cooley.

Mr. Crouch flicked his gaze in Ginny's direction one last time, "You could raise your station and make a hefty amount of gold. It would raise the eligibility of your two grown boys as well. I hear neither of them have made matches yet. I would be compensated of course for making their arrangements as well."

Molly pulled Ginny tighter to her side, "My husband said no thank you."

Mr. Crouch held up his hands in defeat. "I understand. Keep in mind, however, she's nearly of betrothal age and I'd keep your best interests at heart. Others won't and no one else will help stave them away." He motioned towards the frayed newspaper.

"We won't be needing anyone's help, Mr. Crouch," repeated Molly.

The twins stepped together to further block Ginny from view and Percy and Ron were looking back and forth between their parents trying to discern whether or not they should speak up as well.

The old newspaper began to glow blue and halted the conversation. Each Weasley reached out to touch some part of it so no one would be left behind.

"Until your return then." Mr. Crouch tipped his head in good-bye and Ginny wondered if the rest of her family was feeling the same bad taste in their mouths as she did while the familiar hook around their navels transported everyone away.

Suddenly she was spinning very fast, unable to let go of the frayed newspaper. She could feel her family members spinning around her. The last time she'd traveled by Portkey was three years previously, when her dad reluctantly took her to the last Quidditch World Cup. She'd been nearly nine years old at the time and Molly hadn't wanted Ginny to go, but Ginny's insistence won her father over in the end. Watching the Scotland Seeker miss the Snitch by millimeters, ensuring a Canadian win, had propelled Ginny into focusing on her practice with the squirrels in the tree copse bordering her family's orchard and the neighbor's pastures.

When the spinning began to slow down, she tried to brace herself and land on her feet this time. No such luck. She slammed into the ground inside of a hot dry room and the weight of her bag was too much. She spilled backwards and lost her grip on her mother's hand, who had reached out trying to steady Ginny after she'd landed herself. Someone behind Ginny roared with laughter and scooped her up.

"BILL!" she shrieked.

The last Quidditch World Cup was also the last time she'd seen her eldest brother. Bill managed to unstrap Ginny's pack and he passed it off to the other graduated Weasley brother, Charlie.

He pulled her into a tight hug, "How are you, Princess?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Ugh! Don't call me that!" She'd forgotten about the nickname Bill had used all throughout the World Cup.

Bill set Ginny down and both he and Charlie made their rounds hugging each family member in turn. When Charlie let Ron go, there was a very audible, "Let me see it." Everyone paused as Ron sheepishly brought out his mangled wand, a hand-me-down from Charlie. "You realize, this wand has been in the family for generations?"

"Charlie," began Arthur, mildly.

"No, dad! He needs to know! Grandpa Henry's wand was never found so that's the last wand passed down since our family's beginning."

Ron looked agape at Charlie and Bill's stern faces and Ginny's earlier disgruntlement towards her most annoying brother began to melt away. She'd never realized how important the wand had been in the family and started to feel badly for Ron.

"I. . .I d-didn't know. . ." stuttered Ron.

Arthur took over what could've easily turned into a loud squabble between his kids, "What's done is done! I'll hear no more of it!" He looked over at Charlie, "I know how old the wand was. I also know that contrary to our family stories passed down the ages, it has never displayed any sort of special powers." Charlie looked abashed.

"Sorry, dad," muttered Charlie, ice still in his light blue eyes. "It's too bad," He looked into Ron's eyes, nearly level with his own as Ron had a lankier build and Charlie was shorter and stockier like the twins, "the age to use magic here in Egypt is twelve."

Percy and the twins lit up with glee but Ron looked just as devastated as Ginny felt. Ginny wouldn't turn twelve for another two weeks and Ron was wandless.

The ice was no longer in Charlie's eyes as though he believed Ron being allowed to use magic, but not actually capable was the perfect punishment for destroying the family heirloom.

"Well," said Bill, "Charlie also just got here and we still have most of the day. Let's go drop your luggage and see some pyramids." He turned to look at Arthur, "I booked us the Muggle tour," he said with a knowing smile. The family's patriarch grinned from ear to ear and Bill led them outside into the hustle and bustle of Muggle Cairo.

: : : : :

Bill never told the family that a correspondent from the _Daily Prophet_ was waiting near the line of Muggles to cover the story of how Arthur Weasley was spending his winnings. He had simply told their mother to dress well and do her hair for the sight-seeing trip. Ever one to pick up on cues, Molly of course made the whole family clean up properly while they stowed their luggage in their hotel rooms before taking a Muggle tram out to the world famous pyramids.

While the family waited in line with the rest of the tourists, a photographer took several pictures of them with the pyramids as a backdrop. The man kept rearranging the family and doing reshoots as the line was quite long and they had over an hour's wait.

"Alright then!" shouted the photographer, "You're abroad! You're together on holiday! You're having fun! All together now, all together! Let's have the pretty little lass to the front shall we?"

This photographer was nothing like the one Ginny had seen in Flourish Blotts last year. That one had been rude and his camera had emitted loud bangs and purple puffs of smoke. This one however, was jovial and his camera seemed to be in perfect working order.

"That's the ticket!" The photographer shouted after Ron had really gotten into the idea of the family being featured in the _Daily_ _Prophet_ and had allowed Scabbers to climb up to his shoulder and had thrown his other arm around Ginny, ensuring his placement also front and center.

The family eventually made their way to the front of the line. For awhile, they drifted around with the rest of the touring families they'd been grouped with. Then all of a sudden, Bill came up between Molly and Ginny and with an arm around each one, halted the family and whispered, "It's off book from here!"

Ginny shared the look of mischief on her eldest brother's face and glanced at the poor Muggle tour guide.

"Don't worry, Charlie's taking care of him," he said in reply to his mother's worried look.

Bill took them through a secret entrance, accessible only with magic, though Ginny couldn't figure out what he'd used to trigger it open. His wand was still out of sight.

It was similar to Diagon Alley, though nowhere near as big. The secret entrance opened into a whole series of rooms within the pyramid. Many sections appeared to be cordoned off and there were Everlasting Floo Fires everywhere.

Ginny had heard of Everlasting Floo Fires, they only go back and forth to one other fireplace, but had never seen one. They required no Floo Powder and were immensely complicated to set up.

The signs above the fireplaces labeled other offices, dig sites, and rooms in other pyramids they could travel a person to.

"Welcome to the Labyrinth," laughed Bill, watching his younger siblings stare around in wonder. "Where to first?"

Fred and George immediately pointed at the same Fire, "That one!" they said in unison.

They had already ready noticed what Ginny was just starting to put together, the more dangerous the destination, the closer to red the Floo Fires glowed; and they had pointed to the reddest fire of all. It didn't even have a label yet.

"Now, boys," began Molly.

"It's okay mum, I've already disabled all the curses at each location," interrupted Bill.

"See Molly, perfectly fine," said Arthur.

"Why is it red then?"

"Oh, it's still gruesome," replied Bill nonchalantly. "And many of the Muggle traps haven't been fully disarmed. They have Freezing Charms placed on them though."

Molly glanced around and saw all the eager looks on each of her children's' faces. She paused on Ginny's.

"Why don't we start with something a little more benign and then you can take the boys to the gruesome locations while Ginny and I head back to our suites and begin supper?"

Ginny's face fell in disbelief.

Before she could protest however, her father interjected, "Excellent thinking ahead, dear."

Bill led them through a series of pyramid chambers using various Labyrinth fires. Some rooms stored valuable treasures, in others Bill showed them various traps ancient wizards had placed warding out unworthy intruders and the steps he'd taken to dismantle them. In another room there were teams of wizards who were working out the mechanical ingenuity of the Muggles who'd aided the wizards with their own traps. All this to protect their pharaoh's secrets.

"Are they part of your team?" asked Ginny, pointing at a group of wizards who were studying a wheel anchored to a wall with a loop of rough braided rope coming out of the ceiling, the rope looped the wheel and disappeared up into the ceiling again.

"Them? No, they're handling the Muggle engineering side."

"Engine...what?"

"Engineering. Muggles have managed to create what they call machines to move things for them. But every time I think I've got it, more rules are added and I just don't have the time to dedicate to it."

"Like dad's old car?"

Bill nodded his head, "Yeah."

It was cold under all the sandstone after the hot sun above, and Ginny pulled her hooded jumper tighter around her. It was a pleasant cold though, not chilling to the bone like the humid cold of the Burrow.

Molly noticed Ginny's slight discomfort and took it as an opportunity for the two of them to take their leave.

"Well, I think it's about time Ginny and I headed back. Plenty of time to get warm again while we shop at the market."

Ginny looked pleadingly at Bill and her father, silently asking one of them to convince Molly otherwise, but knowing better than to outright whine to stay.

Arthur glanced at Bill, giving his eldest son final say.

"I mean, I don't know if the two younger ones should see some of these rooms," began Bill.

Molly smiled in triumph. "Come along you two. I was paying attention I know how to get us back."

"Daaaaaaaad," bellowed Ron, clearly not above whining. "I helped Harry steal back the Sorcerer's Stone _and_ get Ginny back from the Chamber of Secrets!" He looked imploringly at his father and then sized up Bill as though his accomplishments were greater than any threat Bill had ever faced.

Arthur paused, "You're right. Molly, he's proved his mettle."

The twins nodded in agreement, Percy just looked bored, but Bill and Charlie glanced at one another before Bill finally said, "Okay, Ron you're with us."

"Wha-?" Ginny stopped herself. She didn't begrudge Ron's usage of his accomplishments with Harry Potter, she'd have done the same. "I faced, Tom!" she managed to it get out with only a little indignation in her voice.

Molly looked daggers at Arthur, daring him to give the okay to let Ginny stay.

"I'm sorry, dear. I think you're still recovering from that," replied Arthur gently. "Go with your mum."

Always _just the Little Sister_, thought Ginny as she glanced around all of her older brothers. Ron at least had the decency to look apologetic. Molly put her arm around Ginny's shoulder and steered her back towards the Labyrinth.

"I haven't had a nightmare in days," whispered Ginny, as her and Molly made their way to the one way Floo Fire.

"All the more reason not to expose you to something that could restart them," replied her mother.

Ginny sighed and resigned herself to proving otherwise.

During the last few days of term last spring, Professor McGonagall had checked on Ginny personally after she'd been rescued from the Chamber of Secrets while the rest of the school should have been taking their end of the year tests. With some prodding, Ginny admitted to having nightmares of watching Tom coming out of the diary night after night. Madam Pomfrey had given her enough chocolate to take before bed to last through most of June, however once the Weasley kids had arrived home from school, the nightmares started right back up again.

Ginny had only recently been able to sleep normally, without the aid of chocolate. Waking up pale, drenched in sweat, and shaking from adrenaline was not an ordeal she wished to repeat.

: : : : :

Pale and shaking was exactly how Ron looked when the rest of the family returned from their visit through the 'Chambers of Horror' as Molly had taken to calling them while her and Ginny prepared supper for everyone.

Molly let a stirring spoon she'd been magically using fall and Ginny barely managed to catch it mid-air as her mother rushed to Ron's side.

"Nice catch sis," said Charlie, who came in right behind Ron. Ginny grinned at her brother who had played Seeker for Gryffindor during his time at Hogwarts.

"Arthur, just look at the boy! HOW COULD-"

"He'll be fine. Won't ya, son?"

Ron managed a nod and a weak grin.

"Yeah, mum!" chirped Fred. "Ickle Ronnie-kins will be fine! He only threw up once when he saw the mutated Muggle with two heads!"

Ginny laughed as Ron's face turned green upon remembering the mangled skeletons.

"That's enough!" said Molly, arm still around Ron but nodding in Ginny's direction.

Percy harrumphed as he walked by everyone to get to his own bed in their suite. "Please let me know when supper is ready. I have my Apparition test to study for."

"Yes study!" said George gleefully. "I've wagered a pound to a _penny_ on your immediate success!" The twins cracked identical evil grins and switched their gazes from Percy to Charlie and back.

Ginny suppressed another grin at the twins' ingenuity, getting both Charlie (who'd failed his first Apparition test) and Percy in one single go.

Percy turned red and stalked outta the room while Charlie chased the twins to the room that they were sharing.

Molly went back to the stove top and Ron helped Ginny set the table.

"What happened to Percy after we left?" she whispered.

"Fred and George unfroze one of the Muggle traps and nearly locked him in a pyramid," laughed Ron quietly, the green in his cheeks already fading. He glanced in their mother's direction to make sure she wasn't paying attention and lowered his voice even more, "They said he was going to be 'cut off without a _penny_.'"

The two of them shared a silent giggle at Percy's expense.

"It's nice to see _some_ of my children can get along," said Molly, who'd turned around to put dishes of food on the table. "Can either of you two imagine? All of us having a home cooked meal together for the first time in years. Call your brothers now, and be nice about it to Percy!"

The dinner passed with more Weasley raucous than usual. With the day's tour over, Charlie was able to update the family about his life in Romania. The Peruvian Viper pair that had entranced Ginny two Christmases before had hatched their first brood. Ginny fingered the dragon-tooth necklace Charlie had sent her last year and the accompanying shiver that always went down her spine wasn't quite as aggressive now that more time had gone by since the incident.

Finally it was getting late.

Abruptly, Molly stood to clear the table. "Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, bed!"

Immediately the four of them glanced in Percy's direction and began thinking of reasons to protest staying up if he was going to be allowed to.

"No arguing with your mother. Bed for the four of you. Now," said Arthur before Ron could utter a sound. The only one of them whose mouth was open and ready to try getting his way again.

Puzzled, Ginny glanced around the adults at the table and it hit her. Percy was almost an adult. He was turning seventeen in just a few weeks' time.

The memory of Mr. Crouch from earlier that morning drifted into Ginny's mind and suddenly bed seemed like a very good idea compared to listening to her parents and Percy reliving that conversation for Bill and Charlie.

Ginny disappeared into the closet-sized room she'd been allowed to have to herself. She'd been disappointed with it at first, until she realized all her brothers were sharing the bigger rooms. She would a hundred percent prefer a tiny room than get stuck sharing with Ron.

She stopped at her doorway with a shock. There was a regal looking blue bird standing on the foot of her bed. He had long legs and a piercing gaze. Tied to his feet were two letters, both addressed to Ginny. She'd never seen letters delivered by anything other than an owl.

Cautiously she approached the bird, but he held very still as she untied the letters. As she backed away again, the bird glanced down at his feet and seeing that he was burden free, spread his nearly four foot wingspan and took off through the open window into the cooling Egyptian evening.

Now with an empty room, Ginny plopped down on her bed and looked more closely at her letters. One was addressed to her in the tidy script of Ash Burke, one of her best friends who was in Slytherin, the other in the rushed print of Colin Creevey, her fellow Gryffindor. She opened Ash's letter first. It was the only one she'd received all summer so far from her.

_Ginny,_

_Before I say anything else, I KNOW I said I would write this summer. Only, I've been in BRAZIL! Sending letters from the Americas back to Europe is extremely complicated (you have to entrust your letters to couriers who then set them up for owl delivery after they've crossed the Atlantic) and Father wouldn't allow me to purchase an albatross (they're beneath Burkes). So I have been stuck with no correspondence from anyone! (I think that was Father's intention, I did receive all of the letters from you and Colin after we returned home, however.)_

_Not that I was bored in Brazil! I had the most wonderful time! Father setup Dax and I with a special tutor. One we wouldn't have found in Europe. I can't tell you about what I've been tutored in though because my tutor threatened to stop tutoring us if we told anyone._

_I can tell you how impressed I was with our tutor. His knowledge is so vast, I would have gone into hiding in the jungles of Brazil as well! He gave Dax and I each a gift at our first meeting. You've met mine, Cerulean the Heron._

_They don't use owls much in the Americas, something to do with the indigenous communities' lore, as they are omens of ill will or even death for most, and the tradition carried into the wizarding communities somewhat. Regardless if that's true or not, many have turned to other forms of post delivery simply because "new" is fashionable. Our tutor has even taken to breeding his herons to sell to wizards who live along coasts._

_Unfortunately, not being an owl, I can't take Cerulean to school. That's the only downside. but he can fly internationally with ease. As long as it's not over an ocean._

_Speaking of school, have you heard that Colin is studying in private with a teacher nearly every second of every day? He never has homework! Everything he's doing is hands on all the time. I bet regular classes will feel really slow to him once we go back._

_That's all I can say for now. I hope all is well with you. Tell your dad I said congratulations on winning the _Daily Prophet_ Grand Prize! I'm hoping to catch you in Egypt! My family has a residence there and we usually check-in once a summer._

_-Ash_

She _would_ try to buy an albatross, laughed Ginny. Ash did her best not to let anything get in her way when she set her mind to something. Ginny was curious on what Ash would possibly need a tutor for, but knowing how she spoke of her father in the past, it probably had something to do with the family business.

She picked up the letter from Colin. It was much thinner. He didn't tend to write nearly as much at once. He did write often though and his letters usually contained many more exclamation points.

_Ginny!_

_I FINALLY NAILED TRANSFIGURATION! And then I was shown Vanishing and Conjuring and that those would be things were all going to learn in the future. It's so daunting! Professor Flitwick has been very patient though. Transfiguration isn't his best subject, but he's very good at it. Good enough to get me through first-year lessons anyway._

_Professor Sprout has also managed to catch me all the way up in Herbology. Now I mostly just do hands on work for her in the greenhouse and then we use the plants in there to make potions at my makeshift potions lab she made for me. Potions has been a lot slower. She's trying to follow the guide Professor Snape left her, but it's hard when he's not here to ask questions to. Professor Snape is still off on trips with Professor Dumbledore. I don't think they've managed to fill the Defense Against the Dark Arts position yet._

_I did hear a slip from Professor Binns once though in the middle of an Astronomy lesson, (still can't wait for Professor Sinistra to return!), they did replace the Care of Magical Creatures professor! I haven't seen or heard of any construction though. So I don't think they're going to build a new Livestock Lodge. I've been forbidden to say who the new professor is though. Sorry if I got your hopes up! They're supposed to be introduced at the Welcoming Feast this fall. So my lips are sealed!_

_Have you heard from Ash yet? I haven't received anything all summer!_

_Tell your dad I said going to Egypt is the coolest way he could've thought of spending his winnings._

_Until I hear from you again!_

_-Colin_

He didn't mention Professor McGonagall. She must still be off on Deputy Headmistress duties mused Ginny.

Colin didn't know what these duties entailed, but Professor McGonagall called both him and Justin Finch-Fletchy to her office once a week to discuss their academic progress. She knew Colin and Justin didn't take their summer classes together necessarily from Colin's previous letters, but they did hang out as often as possible and in their free time, Justin helped Colin improve on his flying skills.

The bit about the Livestock Lodge not being rebuilt was a puzzle. Ginny wondered if lessons were to take place in the castle instead. Not that she was eligible yet. You were only allowed to sign up for elective classes once you started third year. Ron would be taking Care of Magical Creatures this year however, so she would find out eventually. Ginny made a mental note to find out specifically as soon as she could for her friend Emerson.

Emerson was a fellow Gryffindor in her year. He was instrumental in helping her retrieve Tom's Diary after Percy broke their deal last spring when Percy refused to confiscate it. Emerson had served quite a few weekends in detention in the Livestock Lodge for sneaking out after hours. While there, he had really taken to help heal the injured animals, magical or otherwise, and continued to volunteer in his free time after completing his detention sentences.

There was a soft knock. Ginny glanced up and saw Bill standing in the open doorway. She couldn't help but grin at her favorite brother.

"Whatcha got there?" he asked, nodding at the letters she was carefully folding up.

"Letters from friends at school."

"Already Miss Popular?"

Ginny thought about how most of the school had avoided her for months for being Colin's closest friend after he'd been Petrified, then for being connected to Harry Potter through Ron while everyone thought Harry Potter was the Heir of Slytherin. Then, still later, how people were polite but still avoided her after finding out she was the one who'd actually been the culprit behind the attacks on students last year.

"Not really," she answered. She glanced down at her letters as she tucked them away into her luggage, then drifted her gaze back to Bill. "But these ones are true friends."

Bill raised his eyebrows at her statement, "In that case, you better hang onto them."

Ginny noticed his change in tone and narrowed her eyes, "It's _Dad's_ job to have heart to hearts with us."

Bill roared with laughter, "I was _not_ going down that road! No, I came to make sure you got to bed early."

Ginny made an obvious glance out the door to the raucous Charlie and the twins were once again making. "Are they going to bed?"

"_They_ aren't going to work with me in the morning."

"What?"

"You and dad are going into the office with me tomorrow morning."

"Why?" Ginny didn't mean for it to come out harsh, but she had never taken an interest in Bill's work. Visiting and exploring the pyramids and tombs were interesting but only from a tourist perspective as far as she was concerned.

Bill didn't admonish her like their mother or Percy would have for the attitude she threw behind her question but instead snickered at it.

"There are people who want to meet you. . .and Dad has approved the meeting."

"WHAT?" Memories of that morning resurfaced: Mr. Crouch all too happy to make a profitable arrangement. Ginny started breathing heavily, like she'd just run a race.

Bill put his arm around Ginny and pulled her close to his side. "Look, I'm not supposed to be saying anything. But I guarantee, no matter what happens. You will have the last yes or no. Okay? The people here. . .they are trying to do this the right way. If there is such a thing."

Ginny's world was spinning. She'd gone her whole life believing that her family was different. That they didn't marry for gain. That she would never be used as a bargaining chip.

"What does mum say?" asked Ginny.

"She hates the idea. But she knows you need a choice. So she's agreed as well."

"What if I don't want to meet these people?" Ginny was practically pleading at this point. "Do you know them?"

"Yeah, they're from here. I know them. He's a good kid, Ginny. I actually kinda like him. I think you will too."

"From here? Who here knows about me?"

"The Burkes."

Ginny's jaw dropped. "Oh no, not Ash's brother, Dax! He already doesn't like me!"

Bill smiled again, "Not _those_ Burkes. The Burkes _here_. The ones who actually run the day to day. Ash and Dax's cousin, Imari and his father. He's your age. I doubt you've heard of him. He doesn't go to school at Hogwarts, he goes here."

Ginny tried to absorb all the information at once. "What do they want from me? I mean . . . from _me_? You know?" The news was getting easier to digest. She'd already decided not to like Imari. Ginny already didn't care for Ash's brother or her father. Ash didn't talk about her mum much, but if Imari was anything like the other men in Ash's family he was not a person Ginny envisioned enjoying herself around.

"Bloodlines sis. They are very good at those after all."

"What? That's it? I have a . . . a . . ." she tried to remember the term she'd heard Ash use before, ". . . a good _pedigree_?"

Bill laughed again. "We are on a branch of Weasleys who still do, yes. We aren't the main line actually, from the research I've dug up, but the real main line died out decades ago. So we are the main by default."

Ginny couldn't believe it. She'd always had the impression that no one in her family thought much on these matters. She'd believed that although she carried an Old Family last name, that she had zero status among them. She'd felt like her first year at Hogwarts had confirmed this, what with Kindra's constant belittling and no one saying otherwise. Not even Ash had disputed Kindra about it.

Ginny reached down and picked up her letter from Ash.

_I'm hoping to catch you in Egypt! My family has a residence there and we usually check-in once a summer._

"How do you know Ash?" she asked Bill.

Bill smiled, "It's hard to miss Ashantae Burke when she shows up with her family every summer. The girl has something to prove and she lets you know it. Spends every minute of her free time following me around and double checking my work while she's here." Bill leaned in conspiratorially, "If you ask me, she has a much better head on her shoulders than that brother of hers."

"Too bad they plan to pass the family business to Dax," remarked Ginny.

"What do you know about that?" asked Bill.

Ginny held up her letter, letting Bill see the return address.

Bill's smile turned incredulous. "One of your 'true friends' is a Burke?"

Ginny nodded.

Bill turned curious, "Who's the other letter from?"

Ginny grinned mischievously, "A muggle-born."

Bill was more puzzled than ever, and Ginny knew he didn't like not knowing all the details.

He rose from the little cot. "Tomorrow. Before work. You and me." He made a motion with his hand pointing between Ginny and himself back and forth. "We are going to catch up on everything. Now go to bed." He grinned at that last bit.

Molly poked her head around the corner as Bill was turning to leave.

"Ginny? Bed now. You and your father have to be up much earlier than everyone else in the morning."

"I heard," replied Ginny.

Molly raised an eyebrow at Bill, "I hope that's all you've heard."

Bill let his eyes widen in innocence as he sidled out the door.

"Night, mum" said Ginny, as Molly pulled her door closed.

"Good night, dear."

She was tired from getting up early for the international trip, then the tour earlier in the day; but right then she was imagining this Imari, in her mind a younger version of Dax, who she was to meet tomorrow. This poor Imari, she thought. She'd survived a version of Voldemort last year who had planned to use her life to bring his own back. She was _not_ for sale and Imari had no idea who he was dealing with and how she'd already begun to plot to get rid of him.


	2. Chapter 2: Imari Burke

Chapter 2: Imari Burke

Ginny woke in a cold sweat.

He'd been staring at her again. Waiting for her to pass out. Waiting for her death so he could be whole again. He'd smiled and, though it was a handsome face that would normally have given her pause, it made her stomach curl with revulsion.

She sat up in bed, brought her knees up to her chest, and leaned her forehead down onto them. Her hair, left free in her sleep, curtained on each side of her face so that she was completely hidden from the memories attacking her dreams.

She felt the already warm sunlight on her arms and took several deep breaths.

"He's dead. He's dead. He's dead," she whispered to herself. "Harry killed him with a basilisk fang. Tom's never coming back. The real Voldemort doesn't know anything about me." She swallowed hard, and took two more deep breaths before lifting her own face to the now hot Egyptian sunlight streaming into her room.

Calmed, she reached up to wipe the tears threatening to fall. At least they hadn't actually fallen this time. It was getting easier.

She was about to creep out of her tiny room before remembering to dress herself presentably just in case her mum was already awake. However, only Bill sat at the little dining table, not currently expanded for a full family meal. He was drinking coffee and the smell pleasantly reminded Ginny of their last trip to the Quidditch World Cup together.

She nodded at the empty fireplace and with a flick of his hand Bill lit the grate into a roaring fire hot enough to cook on. Ginny's eyes lit up at his wandless magic.

"How did you do that?"

"You first. Tell me everything that happened at school last year. Including where the diary came from and, more importantly, how it was destroyed."

Ginny's breath caught. She had not expected to fully relive last year here in the bright and safe desert sunshine of Egypt and the terror of last night's dream wasn't quite gone yet.

Charlie came out of the room he shared with the twins, "I'd like to hear that for myself actually." He poured himself his own cup of coffee from the pot Bill had made, gruffly yanked out a chair next to Bill, sat down and shoved a third chair with his foot out from under the table inviting Ginny to sit centered across from the both of them.

She'd never seen her eldest brothers act this way before. The air was tense for so early in the morning and there was a feeling of unitedness between the two of them she'd only seen before in the twins. She was reminiscent of her last day of term; realizing a war was coming and that she had to grow up to face it, except here she was realizing Bill and Charlie were not like her other brothers. They've been out in the world. They were adults. Real adults like mum and dad.

It took Ginny nearly a half hour, and a full mug of hot chocolate to chase away the last vestiges of her recent nightmares, but she walked her eldest brothers through discovering the diary amongst her books, meeting Colin and Ash on the train ride to school, all the attacks on the students before Christmas and finally realizing it was Tom in the Diary who'd been possessing her and making her do it all. Trying to get rid of the diary only to realize later that somehow Harry had gotten a hold of it. Walking in on Percy and his girlfriend Penny and using that information to try to blackmail Percy into confiscating the diary from Harry to no avail.

"That explains the twins' tormenting him," remarked Bill. Ginny snickered.

"He broke a deal, he deserves it. Keep going," said Charlie, helping himself to a second cup of coffee.

Ginny's initial grin from hearing Bill and Charlie agree that Percy deserved his fate faded when she glanced away from Bill and in Charlie's direction instead. He had been sharper than normal with everyone since their arrival to Egypt. This was not the Charlie of nearly two years ago whom she'd visited in Romania who had been filled with passion, excitement, and general cheerfulness for being picked to aid in the further study of dragons.

She was about to ask what was wrong with him when Bill waved that away, "No, he's right. Keep going."

Ginny shook her head in puzzlement but continued.

She explained how once she'd retrieved the diary from Harry, how she'd felt its power grow with its continued proximity to her. Until finally, one day it had managed to take her over once more. Next thing she knew she was waking up in a room underground and Tom was coming out of the diary. Eventually she passed out but when she'd woken up again, Harry was there, Tom was gone, and there was a huge dead snake in the room.

"What the HELL kind of magic enables a body to grow from a diary?" whispered Charlie.

Bill was shaking his head back and forth. "I have no idea. I've never heard of that before."

"Time to find out who this Tom Riddle is then," replied Charlie.

"Mum and Dad didn't tell you?" asked Ginny.

"Tell us what?" asked Bill.

Ginny looked incredulously between them, "Tom Riddle grew up to be He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Both Bill and Charlie looked agape at Ginny.

"No, they left that bit out," said Bill bitterly. "Is that diary really gone?"

Ginny nodded. "When I woke up Harry was there and Tom was gone." She pointed at her temple. "Tom's voice in my head I mean, and the bond that let me feel his feelings. All of it. It was completely gone. Harry had used a basilisk fang to puncture a hole through the middle of the diary."

"A basilisk fang?" asked Charlie. "You just said giant snake before."

"It _was_ a giant snake," said Ginny.

"Nevermind that now," said Bill. "We have to get ready to leave. We're not finished though," he said, pointing between Ginny and himself again like he had the night before.

Ginny drained away the last of her hot chocolate, feeling confident once more in the sunshine, ready to take on this new adversary from the Burke family.

Right on que, Ron's voice sounded throughout the entire suite, "MUUUUUUM! WHERE'S ERROL? I WANT TO SEND HIM WITH HARRY'S BIRTHDAY PRESENT STRAIGHTAWAY SO HE'LL GET THERE ON TIME!"

Bill rolled his eyes. "I told him not to buy that sneakoscope. It's giftshop rubbish."

"At least it's lightweight," grunted Charlie, as he stood to take his empty mug to the sink. "Errol shouldn't have any problems carrying it."

Bill conceded his agreement in that regard and made shooing motions at Ginny to go prepare to leave.

"I'm ready to go," said Ginny flatly. "Mum would've had a cow if I had been out here this whole time and not dressed and ready for the day."

"You're going to go in hand-me-downs and your hair in a ponytail?" asked Bill, looking her up and down. Bill was the only brother who put any effort into his own appearance.

Ginny had already thought about this and had remembered all the times she'd heard Ash complaining about dressing up for special events to properly represent her family.

"I'm going as me. They can take it or leave it," replied Ginny. It was almost verbatim what Ash always wished she could've done.

Bill cracked a smile.

: : : : :

Ginny, Bill, and Arthur arrived at Bill's office a few minutes before Bill was due to start for the day. Bill had dragged Ginny through Side-Along-Apparition, something he'd been practicing for the last couple of years with co-workers and other visitors.

"You didn't throw up!" laughed Bill as Ginny came out of the Apparition gasping for breath.

Being compressed to nearly nothing and having no control over the process was not an experience Ginny wanted to repeat anytime soon. Bill pulled out his office chair from behind his desk for her and she sat down gratefully. She wasn't so sure about the not throwing up part yet.

"Imari will probably come bounding in here any moment. After that I have a meeting to get to. . . and so does Dad," said Bill offhandedly.

Ginny picked up on what Bill wasn't saying, "Am I waiting here for you guys?" she asked, glancing between them both. Perplexed, she was under the impression she would be going to a meeting as well.

"No," said Arthur quickly, making his way to the charts he'd just noticed on Bill's desk. "You will be hanging out with Imari today. He knows the dig sites, and he knows this area I'm sure the two of you will be fine on your own."

"What?" Ginny had never, not once ever, been allowed on her own.

"You've had a year of school," said her father, leaning in to look at some of Bill's most recent curse-breaking theories. "That's all your mother and I have ever required."

"But Dad! This isn't Diagon Alley! This is Egypt! What if we get lost?"

"Imari speaks several languages," reassured Bill. "And like Dad said, he knows the area. You're going to be fine."

Ginny remembered last year how excited Ron had been when he'd found out he was going to be allowed to go school supply shopping on his own with Harry and Hermione, but she'd never imagined her mum ever giving her that same freedom. It had taken years to convince her that she would be alright visiting Abellio in the tree grove by herself.

"I was hoping to talk mum into going to The Lost Library in Alexandria."

"We won't go to the Library without you," replied Bill.

Before Ginny could think of any other rebuttal, a man in a suit and a boy about Ginny's age swept into Bill's office. "Arthur!" said the man with a big smile, "It has been too many years!" he gave Bill a curt nod. Ginny was expecting an accent like the other locals they heard at the pyramids and in the market, but there wasn't a trace in the man's voice.

"Khari Burke! I hope you're well," replied Ginny's dad.

Both the man and his son walked with an air that Ginny could only identify as "In-Charge." The man in the suit had many of the same facial features as Ash's brother Dax, but the boy's features were much softer, his cheekbones higher, his eyes more almond shaped. He looked nothing like the brooding and pronounced harshness of Dax. Ginny had seen Dax make a first-year Ravenclaw cry by snarling at him to get out of his way. This Imari standing before her never would have managed to do the same.

Ginny could feel a flush creeping up the sides of her neck, something she'd learned usually only happened around Harry Potter. Internally, she chastised herself. These people wanted to use her as some sort of bargaining chip and she was determined to find out what it was.

The boy came to a stop a half-step behind his father's right side and waited quietly. He locked eyes with Ginny and gave her a warm smile. Ginny silently cursed her creeping blush and gave him a steely stare back in response.

"Khari is always well!" replied Mr. Burke, speaking of himself in third person to Ginny's dad. He had a warm, almost sincere tone, nothing like Ginny had expected. For Ash's uncle she had imagined an adult version of Dax. Smug and snobby at the same time.

"And this must be your Princess!"

Ginny nearly made a face, but hearing Molly's voice in her head, she managed to keep her proper bearing.

"Hello, Mr. Burke."

She reached out her hand, sensing these Burkes may have lived here for some time but were accustomed to the UK's greetings.

"Please, call me Khari!" he reached back and shook Ginny's hand earnestly, but gently. "And this is my heir, Imari." Khari placed a hand on Imari's shoulder and brought him forward. Ginny tentatively reached for Imari's hand next and willed her blush not to betray her. She needed to remain in control if she wanted to find out why they were so interested in her.

"Miss Weasley," Imari said softly, also without a hint of an accent. Ginny remained silent. She didn't want a clumsy repeat of what happened last summer with Harry.

Imari already knew Bill well and gave Arthur a familiar nod before gracefully stepping back behind his father.

"Imari has decided to spend the day in Alexandria, and wishes Miss Ginevra to accompany him, if that is alright with you? Arthur?" Khari was eager to get the day underway and although he spoke as if there could've been an alternative plan, there was a note in his voice that said this was going to be the plan.

"One thing," said Arthur hesistantly, "Ginny is not yet quite of age here in Egypt. Should she need to use magic in the case of an emergency, so far away, I mean." This was the father Ginny knew well. "I'm sorry, when you said your son knew the area, I was under the impression you meant Cairo."

A huge grin lit across Khari's face. "My son is known throughout the _continent_ Arthur! We also have domiciles in nearly every major city around the world and Imari is familiar with all of them. More importantly, everyone of consequence knows my heir," Khari leaned in for that last bit conspiratorially, as though no one messes with Imari on that simple fact alone.

Arthur made one last glance at Bill.

"They'll be fine dad."

"They'll be fine!" repeated Khari loudly. He put his hand on Arthur's back and began to guide him out of Bill's office.

As soon as they were in the hall, Bill rounded on Imari. "Does your dad have you doing business in Alexandria?"

Imari shook his head back and forth, "Father knows I have more important matters to focus on these next few weeks." His eyes darted in Ginny's direction for the briefest of seconds.

But Ginny's mind was already elsewhere. There it was she had thought. "Father" knows, not "dad" knows. There was the link between the Burke families she had been waiting for. The blush that had nearly betrayed her minutes ago drained away. Suddenly she felt ready to rebuff any offer Imari threw her way.

Imari motioned for her to follow him. She gave one last look at her eldest brother who gave her a reassuring nod and followed Imari out the door and into the corridor. They walked through hall after hall until he stopped in front of a very heavy and expensive looking door. A plaque next to it read: Khari Burke, Chief Operations Officer, International Liaison.

"Is that going to have your name on it one day?" asked Ginny, making sure to have a trace of ice in her voice.

Imari glanced at the plaque. "No," he said abruptly.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. Apparently she had touched a nerve.

He drew his hand across the door and there was an audible click as it unlocked at his touch. She had heard of that type of magic. It was a form of Blood Magic. It wasn't practiced or taught at Hogwarts, but some of the old families still passed down the practices. This spell was apparently a security measure meant to keep out non-family members.

Whatever the question about the plaque ignited within, Imari recovered quickly and shot Ginny a dazzling smile. "My cousin, Dakarai, has been trained his whole life for that position. After he graduates and is married, he will shadow my father for a year. Then he will take on the COO position and my father will go back to only being our International Liaison. I am interning under your brother, studying to be a Curse-Breaker."

Ginny's interest piqued. "Like Ash?" She followed Imari into the ornate office and they walked over to a large fireplace with warm blue flames. Apparently, this was another Everlasting Floo Fire, but off limits to everyone outside the office.

Imari furled his eyebrows at Ginny for just a moment before bringing back his usual partial grin. "My favorite cousin, Ashantae, is studying to be a Wizarding Artifact Expert. That way, should she prove to remain obstinate in making a proper match, she will at least stay useful to the family."

Ginny held her comment to herself that Ash will do and study as she pleases so as to protect Ash from possible gossip and retribution within her family.

"My brother said you speak multiple languages, why aren't you learning to be the next International Liaison?"

"No doubt that position will go to one of Dakarai or Ashantae's children." Ginny listened for any bitterness or sarcasm in Imari's voice but didn't know him well enough to detect anything. On the surface at least, it seemed as though he were properly groomed to take a position far down the hierarchy.

Imari held out his elbow for her to take formally, but Ginny immediately leaned away.

"You can't get into any of the Burke Estates without an invitation," said Imari with a half smile that didn't melt Ginny one bit.

"I thought we were going to Alexandria?" none of the earlier shyness was in her voice anymore.

"We are," replied Imari. "Our estate here connects with the smaller one there and I need to change first." Once again he extended his elbow for her to take. "This will do to pass as an invitation through the fire."

Hand shaking only slightly, more from nerves of being in such proximity to a boy she only met minutes ago than anything else, Ginny reluctantly looped her arm around Imari's and followed him through the fire.

There was no spinning, no brief length of time, no dizziness, or need to shout your destination for the Everlasting Floo Fire. When they stepped through the fire together it was as though they had simply stepped through a comfortably warm doorway.

It was like walking into the Ministry of Magic back in London. Everything was open, spacious, and shiny. But the colors were all contrasting blacks and whites with splashes of color from exotic plants, magical and non-magical alike. It didn't feel anywhere near the humidity or earthy-ness like one of the greenhouses back at Hogwarts, but compared to the dry desert air in Egypt, it was like stepping into a rainforest.

Ginny's mouth betrayed her as it dropped open in awe. She immediately snapped it shut when she realized Imari was smiling at her reaction.

"Welcome home, Master Imari!"

Ginny let go and jumped away from Imari's arm now that they were through the fire, as a tiny House Elf appeared and greeted them. He was wearing a toga, not unlike the ones Ginny had seen on the House Elves at Hogwarts last year. Unlike the Hogwarts House Elves however, who wore simple togas with the Hogwarts crest on the upper left chest, Imari's family House Elf wore a deep black toga with very bright contrasting designs of purple, red, yellow, green, and blue shapes.

Imari grinned at Ginny's need for personal space but answered the House Elf, "Thank you, Tadby. Miss Weasley, this is one of the Burke House Elves, Tadby. Tadby, this is Miss Weasley. If all goes well today, she'll be popping in and out for the next few weeks."

Imari turned to Ginny, "Tadby will acquaint you with the house while I change."

Ginny made the mistake of briefly looking down at her own attire before Imari left the room, "Don't worry," he said seeing her moment of indecision. "What you are wearing is perfectly normal for where we are heading."

Tadby began walking down a long hallway while Imari strode off in another direction.

"This way, Miss Weasley!" called Tadby. Not wanting to be left alone in an unfamiliar place, Ginny rushed after the little House Elf. He opened a door to an expansive room with many fireplaces, similar to the one Bill called the Labyrinth at work except every fireplace was a calm and pleasant shade of river blue, like the one in Khari's office.

"Please hold out your wand."

Ginny furled her eyebrows, "What?"

"Your wand. Tadby will temporarily bind it to the estates to recognize you as a guest."

"Like, identification?" asked Ginny.

"It will allow you to come and go as _you_ please to all Burke Estates, and shield all magic you do within the confines of Burke Estates from any and all outside traces."

"Wait," said Ginny, trying to grasp everything Tadby was telling her, "You're saying that if I let you bind my wand, that the Ministry can't trace my underage magic here?"

"Of course, Miss. 'Tis my job as a House Elf to keep my Master's Secrets."

"Besides," said Imari, strolling into the room, now also dressed in jeans, a simple t-shirt, and carrying a hooded jumper, "your Ministry can't trace your magic here in Egypt anyway. It's out of their jurisdiction."

Ginny held out her wand for Tadby. Tadby slowly waved his small hand over the wand and it glowed gold for the briefest of seconds before going back to looking completely normal again.

"Give it a swirl," encouraged Imari nodding in the direction of the fireplaces; the light in his eyes reminded her of Emerson back at Hogwarts. Although Ginny and Emerson had both been Gryffindor first-years, they had only really gotten to know each other after serving detention together. It seemed Imari had the same need as Emerson to flout the line of authority and that was something Ginny had no qualms with participating in. It took effort for her to suppress a grin.

Still, she was hesitant. "What about Egyptian authority, don't they have jurisdiction?"

"Technically," shrugged Imari.

"Tadby does as Master Burke and Senior Master Burke wishes," piped up Tadby. "like all House Elves who serve the Noble House of Burke. Tadby's magic _will_ shield Miss Weasley's."

Ginny's heart was racing, but it wasn't from nerves like earlier. This felt more like when she was racing through the orchard on one of her brothers' stolen brooms and Imari and Tadby were becoming her partners in crime.

She finally let out a real grin, raised her wand, and swirled red and gold sparks in the air in the general directions of the fireplaces' empty name plaques. Surprisingly, all but a handful lit up with a city name and country. There were four however, at the end of the line that did not light up, and the fires within turned a deep orange. Clearly a warning.

"Those Estates are out of bounds to non-Burke family members. No exceptions," explained Imari before Ginny had a chance to ask.

Keeping up her standoffish demeanor was becoming difficult in the short amount of time she spent with Imari and Tadby.

"Do _you_ know where they go?" asked Ginny, her nervousness around Imari was already beginning to fade now that she had her access back to her magic.

"Of course."

When he didn't elaborate Ginny dropped the subject.

"So, Alexandria then?" she asked, glancing at the fireplace with the city name on the plaque above.

Imari held out his elbow once more.

Ginny glanced down at her wand, "I thought I didn't need that anymore?"

"You don't. But it will look better when we emerge from the other side," said Imari with an encouraging smile.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "What are we doing in Alexandria that I'm already appropriately dressed for?"

Imari led the way to the Everlasting Floo Fires in the center of the lot, "Sailing on the Mediterranean, and then the Library."

"Why didn't you say so?" Ginny grabbed his elbow and dragged him through the fire.

: : : : :

Over the course of the following week Ginny went on short day trips with Imari all over the world to the different Burke Estates and at one point Hedwig showed up to the Weasley's suite with Errol with a note attached from Harry.

"Hedwig's gotta stay with us while Harry's Muggle aunt stays with them," announced Ron before he disappeared back to his room. Scabbers hadn't been eating much lately and Ron was going to tempt him with some sweet breads. Ron had been spending a lot of one on one time with their mum in Ginny's absence due to not having a wand of his own and being left behind by their older brothers as Bill continued to show the family around Egypt.

On the morning of their second day together Ginny and Imari had unexpectedly been restricted to staying on Burke property at all times. Khari Burke had an almost manic look in his eye when he was driving the point home to Imari ("I WILL NOT BE DISOBEYED ON THIS!") and Ginny had the impression that he rarely spoke to Imari in such a manner, but Khari also ever so slightly quirked his eyebrow at the end of his speech. Imari's face remained impassive but he seemed to get the hidden message his father was sending him all the same.

Ginny later realized that "staying on the Burke property" didn't mean staying within their Cairo mansion, which was easily large and interesting enough to warrant doing so, but traveling through the safety of their properties' Everlasting Floo Fire network, it really meant staying on Burke Estates anywhere in the world.

After Alexandria, Imari took her to see his father's underwater study in the Bermuda Triangle, the world's largest wizarding natural wildlife preserve for magical oceanic plants and animals. The majority of the square mileage within the Triangle was dedicated to the ocean; the wealthiest wizards around the world however, were able to purchase underwater condos with hidden entrances on the interior islands. The windows of these condos were large enchanted bubbles with a view of a magical coral reef. Khari had chosen this location for his home office because it was similar to his House common room at Hogwarts except it had much more sunlight and color on the ocean floor than the Slytherin common room received from the Black Lake.

Imari did not go to Hogwarts like Khari had and Ash and Dax currently were. He went to Uagadou, the oldest school in Africa. ("My father's favorite trophy is this shadowbox containing my letter from Hogwarts and my Dream Token. I'd received both in one summer you see," when Ginny noticed the shadowbox above Khari's desk.)

Khari had made sure Imari would get both invitations by ensuring his heir was born in the UK but lived in Egypt during his early years to get the early wandless education and during the summer of his eleventh birthday. The two had deliberated for weeks before finally settling on sending Imari to Uagadou over Hogwarts where he could gain more international connections than he ever would have been exposed to at Hogwarts while growing up. Although, spending the day in Bermuda and watching Imari uttering some of the local phrases, Ginny didn't think it would have mattered which school he had gone to with charismatic Khari for a father.

A local snorkeling tour guide met them at their underwater condo. The wizard put a simple Bubblehead Charm on them both and guided them around the magical oceanic plants and animals on their ocean floor property.

Another day Ginny learned how to use wizard skis on the slopes of Burke Cottage grounds at Jeung Fraue in Switzerland. Instead of reacting to certain hand grips, like broomsticks in the air, the skis reacted to how far their passenger was leaning forward and the amount of the uphill incline. They self-propelled over flat surfaces and brought the skier to the top of the slopes quite easily. Once pointed downwards however, they let gravity take over and it was entirely dependent on the rider's balance and skill. She borrowed quite a bit Ash's gear that stayed at the Cottage year-round for the lessons and laughed when Imari showed far less skill than her even though he'd been going every winter since he could walk.

Afterwards, to warm up, they hopped through another Everlasting Floo Fire to Japan where Imari took Ginny to the private Burke Onsen. A modest mansion built around a natural hot spring where he regaled her with tales of wild monkeys using similar hot springs to survive the cold winters in Japan. Tadby and a young female House Elf who maintained the Onsen while the Burkes were away Apparated lunch with all sorts of local cuisine. Ginny tried a bit of everything except the squid and laughingly covered her eyes while Imari loudly slurped them down.

They went to Paris, Montreal, and Florence and Imari had all the original paintings of world famous witches and wizards through time brought to the nearest Burke Estate in each city, taking care to slowly explain the European history of how each one made an important impact for modern wizards and lamenting on how he had originally planned on taking her to the museums where they were normally displayed.

Ginny was far more interested in the artistic paintings made by witches and wizards. Paintings depicting witch hunts and burnings, paintings of magical creatures, and paintings depicting how the wizarding world participated in Muggle historical events like wars and conquerings.

"Why would we participate in their wars?" she wondered out loud.

"It wasn't always _their_ wars," Imari answered. "There are rumors that magic ran through the bloodlines of many monarchical families in Europe before the International Statute of Secrecy was enacted."

"Really?"

"Of course, that would have been a major conflict for the Church in those times. A Crown Prince isn't allowed to be king because he was born with magic. Happened more often than is written about in history."

Ginny pondered the ramifications of this. She'd only taken one year of History of Magic.

"What would happen to them?" she asked.

"Erased usually. Completely. From Muggle and wizard histories."

"Then how do you know about them?" asked Ginny with skepticism.

Imari gave his half-smile, "We are Burkes and we are in the business of knowing these things."

On the start of their second week together Imari was fed up with the stay-on-Burke-Estates rule and without needing to be convinced much, Ginny went with him to visit a favorite teacher of his. The Uagadou Professor was spending the summer in Kenya teaching local magical children, not yet of school age, the basics of becoming an Animagi, a form of wandless magic started early in many parts of Africa.

"It aides in learning the discipline it takes for wandless magic," Imari pulled her close and whispered into her ear so as not to interrupt the lesson. His public display of almost-affection had her blushing maddeningly. It took all of her willpower to keep her cool enough to not cringe away in embarrassment but instead to lean in to hear the full story.

"Father let me choose our sponsorship beneficiary this summer." Ginny's whole being was ablaze with electricity at this new proximity between them as she glanced up to see Imari's eyes and he nodded in the teacher's direction.

"This is you're doing?" she asked.

"Mhmm. The children have a higher chance of being accepted into a formal wizarding education if they get these basics now. Some of them might even be accepted at Uagadou."

"Hogwarts takes anyone," Ginny replied in a whisper back.

Imari shifted his taller frame to stand behind her, wrapped both of his arms around her from behind as dusk fell in the cooling Kenyan air and rested his cheek on the top of her head as he replied, "Hogwarts takes students from one country, that isn't currently at war with itself anywhere. I go to school with kids whose parents are technically at war against one another."

Ginny watched the little kids in their lessons as she contemplated Imari's words. She unconsciously leaned into him as she did so, thinking about how lucky she was not only to be born somewhere she was guaranteed a spot in her magical education but for once appreciating her lineage and the perks it granted her. She never would have been exposed to this sort of learning if she'd been born without an Old Family last name.

"I'd like to visit your school . . . before I go home." It was beginning to feel indescribably natural to be standing there with him.

"This is impossible," said Imari but Ginny heard the teasing note in his voice and felt it in the slight squeeze he gave her.

She glanced up at him and knew that her blush must've been covering her from forehead to her collarbone, hoping the darkening sky was concealing it.

"Not without first mastering the same lessons these kids are working on here."

She heard the challenge in his voice and she playfully leaned further back into him to throw him off balance and regain dominance but he in return picked her up and spun her around until she shrieked in laughter and the teacher kicked them both out of the quiet teaching area and back to the noisy bonfire in the center of the village.

: : : : :

The second weekend rolled around and Hedwig abruptly woke from her midday sleep and hastily flew out the window.

"What the?" started Ron.

"Harry probably needs her," commented Charlie nonchalantly. He was sitting at the little dining room table drinking coffee again while reading a newspaper from Romania.

"And she just knows that?" asked Ginny.

"Their bond is unusually tight, but nothing I haven't seen before," replied Charlie. "She's his only link to the wizarding world all summer long, I'd be surprised if they didn't have a close bond."

Ginny caught Ron's eye over Charlie's head and she knew the same thought crossed both their minds: _Harry's in trouble!_

"Dad!" called Ron as he rushed to the sitting room area of their holiday suite.

Ginny almost got up to follow Ron and help him beg their dad to get an Emergency Portkey and check on Harry. Almost. It wasn't her place she reminded herself. She went back to checking her overnight bag.

Normally, she Apparated into the office with Bill in the mornings and then Imari would come take her on their day's adventure; then she would return back to her family by late afternoon to have dinner with them. This time however, Bill was going to take her after his shift was over and she was told to pack for a two-night stay over with the Burkes. Imari had a last minute gift for her, an early birthday present he called it.

Bill came to collect her to bring her to the Burke Offices and she was relieved when their dad came out of his room fully dressed, Ron still on his heels.

"Dad, I want to go too," said Ron.

"Go where?" asked Bill.

"Home! We need to check on Harry!"

"You're staying here son." Ron looked extremely put out and Ginny could tell he was about to argue. "Not another word about it. Bill I need a Portkey back to the UK as soon as possible, do you have a few hours to leave the country and come with me?"

Charlie looked up from the paper he was reading. "Do you think this has anything to do with why you got called back to the office a few days ago?" Arthur gave his second son a sharp look and Charlie immediately snapped his mouth shut.

"You were called back to the office?" Ginny looked at her dad imploringly. She knew she hadn't spent much time with the family since their arrival in Egypt, but she had no idea their father went home and came back.

Molly came out of the room to start dinner and say good-bye to Ginny for the weekend. "Everyone got called back for a Ministry-wide announcement," said her mum evasively.

"What announcement?" asked Ginny. She glanced at Ron who just shrugged.

"Never mind that now," said their dad. "We need to get moving. Bill, you and I will drop off Ginny with the Burkes, and then we'll get a Portkey. Charlie, you're in charge while I'm away Percy and the twins are exploring Muggle Cairo; I was going to meet them at the Citadel to Apparate them back but I'll need you to go instead." Charlie nodded his assent and even though Ron still looked put out that he wasn't going, he seemed consoled that at least Bill was going with their father.

"Let's go," said Arthur. Ginny turned to hug her mum good-bye and she went with Bill to the empty hotel hall they used to Disapparate.

Ginny was finally getting used to the feeling of suffocating for a few moments and when they arrived in Bill's office she was steady.

Bill checked his watch, "Imari should be here any minute. He's never late."

"I'll wait with Ginny. You head to the Embassy now, I'll be right behind you," said Arthur.

Bill nodded and quickly exited his office.

Imari came bounding in less than a minute later. His bright smile was a huge relief for Ginny after the past 20 minutes of worry. Imari came to a sudden halt and stood upright when he realized it was Arthur escorting Ginny today.

"Hello, Mr. Weasley. Where's Bill?"

Arthur cleared his throat, "Bill and I have a _family emergency_ back home and he is arranging transportation." He walked up to face Imari head on, "Is your father coming?"

Imari shook his head no. "Father checks on the digs in Upper Egypt on Fridays."

Arthur took a deep breath and let out an audible sigh. "Well, I'll give you the message in his stead." He leaned down so that Imari wouldn't miss a word, "I would rather my only daughter be safe at home with her brothers right now, but I know this weekend is important to you two. I am trusting your family to protect her while I'm away for a few hours. Am I clear?"

Ginny had to remember to breathe. She almost never heard her father use that tone.

Imari was not phased in the slightest. He put a reassuring hand on Arthur's shoulder much like how Khari did to anyone he was talking to. "Mr. Weasley, as an honored guest, Ginny is always protected as though she were a Burke herself. I promise you this."

Ginny watched as her dad visibly relaxed and nodded at Imari's words.

"I need to get going. You two stay out of trouble." He turned to Ginny directly, "If Bill and I aren't back by the time you are due back, look for Charlie."

Ginny raised her eyebrows, she wasn't due back until Monday. Her father said he only needed to be gone a few hours. "We'll be fine dad. Go take care of him. He might need you."

"Good girl," said Arthur. He leaned down and kissed Ginny on her forehead. "You two okay if I leave you here?"

Ginny gave her dad a winning smile. She was worried, of course, but she was more worried for Harry. "Yes, dad! Go!"

Arthur gave his daughter one last strained smile and left to find Bill.

"I thought your whole family was in Egypt?" asked Imari.

It was Ginny's turn to smile and smooth things over. Harry must be protected at all costs.

"It's a big family. Dad's going to go check on one of our extended family members."

"I hope he's okay," said Imari sincerely.

"He's got Dad and Bill," replied Ginny with an honest smile. "So, he's got the best. There's almost no one else I'd want to know was coming to save me if I needed it." She thought about Harry coming to her rescue, just a few short weeks ago in the Chamber of Secrets. _Almost no one else._

Imari smiled and nodded back, "I've worked closely with your brother. I agree." He held his elbow out for her to take, more for the comfort of friendship than for formality.


	3. Chapter 3: Egypt versus Bulgaria

Chapter 3: Egypt vs Bulgaria

When she approached the door of her personal suite within the Cairo Manor, (doors opening smoothly, perfectly timed to her passage through their frame) her jaw dropped.

"I can't accept this!" She turned around and stared at Imari. "That's a Nimbus 2000!"

Imari smiled. "It's just a loaner," he explained. "We have a small residence in southern Algeria in a wizarding community in the very heart of the desert, where a permanent Quidditch stadium resides year-round. It's not so large as to host the World Cup, however, many teams from the desert countries play their group qualifiers there and tonight will be the qualifier between Egypt and Bulgaria."

Ginny was awestruck. "Professional Quidditch? But what's the Nimbus for?"

Imari's smile spread to a grin. "Well, we don't have a residence on the stadium grounds," he joked. "So we will ride our Nimbuses from Burke Oasis to the stadium. Directly to our box actually, no traversing those awful stairs."

"Those awful stairs!" Ginny laughed at the face Imari made thinking about the stairs all the way to a top box seat. She had learned over the past couple of weeks that Imari was not only inept to anything sports related, but he was vehemently averse to doing most of it. He had shuddered when Ginny told him that Hogwarts Castle had a myriad of moving staircases to navigate between classes.

"There's one teeny catch though," said Imari. Ginny took her eyes off the Nimbus she would be riding later and furled her eyebrows at him. "Father has invited many of the ladies I will also be courting in the coming years. As a meet and greet. You, of course, will be my Guest of Honor!" he finished hastily.

Ginny paused in her examination of the Nimbus she was going to be allowed to borrow. Seeing Imari everyday had become an easy routine and one she looked forward to. She'd nearly forgotten that there was another purpose behind the two of them getting to know one another.

"So . . . I'm what? Going to sit closest to you with a bunch of other girls all vying for your attention? Because, honestly, I'm probably going to be paying more attention to the match."

Imari had been genuinely intent on the two of them properly getting acquainted before officially courting her, which as she had come to learn, he wasn't allowed to do until her twelfth birthday anyway. It was an old wizarding tradition, even though legally they were not adults and could not actually marry until the age of seventeen, children of pure-blood families were eligible to become betrothed at the historical legal age of thirteen and courting could start at twelve. Ginny had never expected to partake in the time-honored tradition of being paraded through pure-blood society, but she was beginning to think that if it were just Imari, it wouldn't be so difficult to face.

Imari leaned in close, "Are you saying that if you don't have me all to yourself that you won't lift a finger to fight for me?" he said teasingly. It was the first time he'd directly flirted with her.

Aside from a slight burn in her cheekbones she easily managed to push away, Ginny knew Imari well enough now to tease back, "Quidditch has always been my first love. Dragging my attention away would be difficult for you even if you had me all to yourself."

: : : : :

They stayed up late that evening with the intention of sleeping-in the next day to be fresh for the Quidditch match the following evening. To pass the time they practiced the same children's lessons the professor had been teaching in Kenya under Tadby's watchful eye.

Ginny tried and tried to calm her mind enough to feel the very center of where her magic began within; but try as she might, it was no use. Imari tried several analogies to help her. She was the whole world and all she had to do was mentally dig a tunnel to the center. She was an open desert expanse and the magic came from the sun, all she had to do was look towards the sunlight. She was on a boat on the ocean and all she had to do was want it to take her to a safe place and it should whisk her there automatically.

But the ground was too hard to dig through, the desert sun was so extremely hot and bright Ginny had to close her eyes to guard against it, and the boat on the ocean was tossed and turned on a myriad of dark crushing waves conjured from a sea storm.

"I don't understand," said Imari. "The desert sun and boat ride are easy-modes we use for children who are still learning how to speak!" His frustration grew with each of Ginny's failures.

"I can at least get to these places now," said Ginny.

Imari shook his head, "No, it's incredibly rare for someone of school age to not find enough inner peace to be able to find the source of their magic within. Not unless they've recently experienced horrors in their life they are trying to block out."

Ginny dropped her gaze to the floor. Too late she realized her mistake and Imari picked up on her reaction immediately.

"Whatever they are, you have to stop blocking them out. You have to feel them and process them to really know yourself," he said gently.

"_Master Imari,"_ chastised Tadby. He said it in a whisper to remain respectful.

They had been lying on the marble floor of the Cairo Manor Library, looking up at a blank ceiling to help concentration. Ginny sat up and crossed her legs and Imari sat up with her, she hesitated for a moment and then said, "_I'm_ not the one who chose to have them blocked."

"Someone did this to you?" Imari's anger was instant and palpable. Ginny leaned back in surprise. "Erasing or Modifying a person's memory is one of the most _disgusting_ ways to violate a person!"

"Master Imari!" Tadby's voice lowered an octave and this time it definitely contained a warning note that this was none of Imari's business.

Ginny instantly thought about her vendetta against Lockhart. "It's okay," she said to Tadby who nodded in acceptance. "I agree," she directed to Imari.

"There are steps that can be taken to undo this," said Imari seriously.

"Absolutely not. I don't want . . ." Ginny trailed off.

"How do you know what you want if you don't know what happened?"

"I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!" shouted Ginny suddenly. In her mind's eye it was flooding back. Petrified Mrs. Norris. Petrified Colin. Petrified Nearly-Headless Nick and Justin Finch-Fletchy. Petrified Hermione and Penelope.

"Lesson's over!" cried Tadby. "I'll be back with soothing drinks!" The little House Elf vanished on the spot with a loud crack.

"If you're blocked how can you know what happened?" retorted Imari, clearly still hanging onto his anger at finding out Ginny's memory had been messed with.

"I know the outcomes, and I can infer what happened!" she hissed back. She paused to take a breath and then she replied more calmly. "I can . . . infer what I was forced to do . . . and forced to forget. And I don't have to visit your school if this is what I have to do to get there," she finished, crossing her arms.

Imari visibly calmed down also. He shook his head, "I don't know any other way to get there. Mastering your animagi allows you to bypass the magical borders that keep humans away. I don't have the power to make exceptions."

Ginny grinned. It was the first time she'd seen him look lost. "It's okay, I don't have to get _everything_ I want." Tadby returned with two cups of steaming hot chocolate.

"Thank you, Tadby," said Imari.

"Tadby lives to please, Master Imari," said the House Elf, cheerful once again now that the yelling had stopped.

Ginny could feel real calmness coursing through her and she was happy the House Elf knew chocolate would help chase away the ill feelings, even if he didn't know how much she relied on it when this particular topic came up.

"You said there was a way to unlock the memories?" asked Ginny, wanting to finish the conversation civilly.

"It's very dangerous," replied Imari. "It requires exposing yourself to one of the foulest creatures in existence; and it only works if the memories are your worst memories."

"What do you mean?"

"If someone showed you a red jumper, and later modified your memory to remember it as blue or to have not existed at all, that isn't really a terrible memory is it?"

"I guess not. But people don't use Memory Charms for simple stuff like that."

"Unless you're a hapless Muggle, who stumbled onto magic and someone modifies a dragon you saw to become a frickin' dinosaur so that no other Muggle will believe your story," mumbled Imari offhandedly.

"What?" said Ginny, bewildered at his example. "That's different. That's to protect the International—"

"Statute of Secrecy," finished Imari with an eye-roll. "It's become so commonplace to cast this _charm_ on Muggles in the name of secrecy and it sounds so benign even calling it a _charm_ to begin with, that people forget what it actually is! It's something done to people without their express permission, it lasts forever, and it's usually irreversible! That makes it dark magic and _that_ makes it a textbook curse! The 'Good Guys,' like government officials, dress it up by calling it a _charm_ and make it seem acceptable, polite even! But then it gets published in books and then with enough fortitude _anyone_ can learn it . . . and . . . and . . . and who keeps _those_ random people in check with who _they_ use it on?"

Ginny didn't know how to respond. "That makes a lot of sense," she conceded, again remembering how Lockhart used it on Muggles and other wizards for his own gain. "I don't know anyone outside of the Ministry Muggle Obliviators who use that . . . _spell_ . . . for good . . . .Who modified a Muggle's memory from a dragon to a dinosaur?"

Ginny was trying to dispel the tension and have Imari elaborate on what sounded like an interesting story, but instead Imari's already thin mouth got even thinner.

He sighed, and then said, "You're brother."

Ginny's eyes widened. She had no idea Bill was qualified to do that.

"Don't worry," continued Imari. "At least he got her permission first, and the dinosaurs were her idea."

Ginny wanted to ask about the circumstances around that happening and how Imari knew about it, but Imari downed the last of his hot chocolate Tadby called bedtime and shooed them off to their separate suites.

: : : : :

Ginny slept-in really late the next day in anticipation of staying up well after dark for the match. It was another nightmare-free night and she attributed that to the hot chocolate she'd drank the night before. Tadby finally woke her well past noon by opening her suite's curtains and dragging in dress robes on a wheeled clothing rack for her to choose from to wear to the top box. Khari, who normally also worked on Saturdays, took the day off to go with the two of them to the match, albeit he would be sitting in a cordoned off section by himself within their private box.

"Are we actually allowed off Burke property since your father is going to be with us?" asked Ginny after settling on a set of dress robes in royal-purple to match what Khari and Imari were going to wear. It was the first time she'd seen Khari in anything other than a Muggle suit. To the match, he was going to wear traditional Egyptian-style dress robes to accommodate the desert climate.

Imari matched her mischievous grin at having already snuck off property in Kenya before this, all traces of their yelling last night having disappeared. "Apparently whoever they were worried about hasn't shown himself in all this time," said Imari while going over earring displays to go with Ginny's dress robes.

"Whoever _they_ were worried about?" repeated Ginny.

Imari didn't look phased, "My father, other multi-millionaire parents, government officials. This isn't the first time I've been confined to the Burke Estates."

"Oh. This is normal?" asked Ginny in a half-teasing but half-serious manner.

Imari gave her a reassuring smile, "Everyone wants to be or to have a piece of Khari's Prince."

"Prince? Really?" Ginny laughed and took the set of earrings Imari passed to her and held them up to her lobes. Imari grinned. "Poor people perks of being unimportant, I guess. I'm only confined to my house when I'm in trouble."

Tadby announced it was time for them to depart to Burke Oasis and that Senior Master Burke was going to meet them there.

Ginny screeched to a halt, grabbed Imari's arm and spun him around to face her. "Did Tadby say '_Senior_ Master Burke' as in Ash's dad?"

"Yeah," Imari shrugged off the information.

Ginny felt the first signs of panic in her stomach, "I'm not ready to meet him!"

Imari took a breath and let it out in a sigh, "My uncle doesn't get a say in who I court. He _can_ influence people in my direction or away if you let him. But remember, I _chose_ you. You have no idea how long we searched for a candidate only to land on _you_." He smiled, "You have no idea how _relieved_ I was to learn how kind you are . . . how adventurous . . . ," he ran his fingers down the lock of hair she'd left free of the bun she had done for the match, "how pretty you are."

Ginny almost dropped the borrowed earring. He'd never said something like that out loud in all the time they'd spent together. "I'm not polished," replied Ginny. "I'm nothing like Ash."

"I don't want to marry my cousin," smiled Imari. He bit his bottom lip in a rare display of uncertainty. "I selfishly don't want you to be polished. If you are _too perfect_ my uncle could steal your courtship for his own son."

Ginny thought about his statement, leaned back, and crossed her arms. "You're hoping that your uncle will see me, see my father's blood traitor tendencies, see me not fit into wealthy society, and think to himself 'She's not good enough for my son but she's good enough for my nephew.' That about sum it up?"

Imari's confidence faltered, "I'm sorry. When you say it that way. . ." he let his words trail off.

Ginny laughed "Just don't keep secrets like that from me. I don't like to be 'handled' it happened to me a lot last year—"

She stopped abruptly. In all their talk last night about recent horrors, she hadn't told Imari about Tom in the Diary.

"I don't like it okay? I can take the truth. Always."

Imari seemed to be reflecting on their conversation the night before as well and nodded in agreement, "The truth, from now on."

He held out his elbow and Ginny took it easily. They stepped through another one of the Everlasting Floo Fires and arrived in a much smaller, yet still large and luxurious estate. This one seemed to be made of the very same sand as the desert but when Ginny curiously reached out to touch the wall, it was bumpy like sand but hard as stone.

"Master Imari. Miss Weasley." An unfamiliar House Elf greeted them at Burke Oasis, the estate closest to the Sahara Quidditch Stadium. "Senior Master Burke and the children are freshening up now for the match. Dinner will be served before our departure."

"Thank you, Kodkey," said Imari. The older House Elf bowed regally and walked at a stately pace out of the entrance room. Tadby peeked his head around the corner of the Everlasting Floo Fire they had just stepped through to be sure Kodkey was gone and then he fully popped out when the coast was clear.

"Tadby has brought your Nimbuses, Master Imari. Tadby will put your Nimbuses in your quarters, sir!"

"Thank you, Tadby," said Imari, in a considerably warmer tone than he had used with the older Kodkey.

Tadby disappeared.

"Kodkey is our most senior House Elf," said Imari, answering Ginny's questioning look. "As we acquire more estates we acquire more room for House Elves. Kodkey gets to serve the senior most Burkes and has been allowed to decide which House Elves serve who or where within the family. Poor Tadby was shuffled around quite a bit before he was sent to serve 'the nephew who is far down the Burke line.'"

Ginny smiled. "But his punishment became a blessing."

"Tadby doesn't want to be moved again and he continues to steer clear of Kodkey so he won't be. I like Tadby. I don't want to see him go either."

"You have no say in it?" asked Ginny.

"No. Senior Master Burke owns every single Burke House Elf. When I'm of age, I'll petition to keep Tadby in my service but he will always belong to the Senior Master Burke."

Two weeks ago, Ginny wouldn't have been able to hear the bitterness in Imari's voice that there were some things beyond his or his father's control. But being close for so many days in a row, she noticed it now. Imari was slipping. As much as she was genuinely enjoying his company, this was exactly the sort of clue she was looking for. Something to tie together exactly what it was he was hoping to get out of a match with her.

"Let's go see your quarters." Imari pulled her in the opposite direction Kodkey went.

They found her overnight bag already set up near the foot of her bed. Tadby had insisted on unpacking and re-packing for her but thankfully only needed to be declined once. Imari heard the commotion of Kodkey answering their front door and left to greet the rest of his guests as they arrived.

Ginny took out the dress robes and proceeded to get dressed. There was going to be a dinner with all the ladies. Imari's friends from school were also going to attend to make the event more of a mixer rather than a single large date for Imari.

She was sitting in front of the large mirror in her room, she had decided she wanted all of her hair in the bun after all for dinner with Senior Master Burke and was in the process of putting it back together when the door to her suite suddenly opened.

A girl Ginny had never seen before stood in the frame. She was around Ginny's age, but tall. As tall as Imari. Her skin glowed in the candle light and was as smooth and buttery as melted chocolate. She surveyed Ginny as closely as Ginny was surveying her and Ginny's eyes widened as she watched the girl's eyes turn from a piercing ice blue to a reflective green with pupils like a cat and back again.

Then she heard a familiar voice from the hallway behind the girl. "You haven't _earned_ that room, Zalika. Get out."

Ginny's heart rose. Ash!

"Just wanted to get a look for myself at the Red-Maned Princess from Imari's birth country," said Zalika with an accent Ginny couldn't place.

Ash pushed the door open farther and shoulder checked the girl as she stepped around her and then stood between her and Ginny. Glaring at the tall girl all the while.

"Everyone will get a look at her at dinner. Now as I said. Get. Out."

"The Princess can't tell me herself?" Zalika smiled smugly and left. Ash slammed the door shut after her with wandless magic.

Ginny stood up and rushed at Ash. She didn't realize how much she missed her friend until that very moment. She threw her arms around her and said in a panicked voice, "I don't know what I'm doing! If I freeze when someone I don't know looks at me critically how will I ever survive a dinner with your father?"

"Father is going to spend two minutes assessing every girl there to determine if he wants Dax to court them instead of Imari and then he's going to spend the rest of the night ignoring everyone. Don't worry about him."

Ginny released Ash and nodded.

"How did you close that door without a wand and who's Zalika?"

Ash raised her eyebrows in a look Ginny knew well. She wasn't going to like the news.

"Wandless magic is something Imari and I have been practicing since we could talk and believe me, I'm much better with a wand! Zalika is your biggest competition with Imari."

Ginny urged her to go into more detail.

Ash rolled her eyes, indicating she didn't think talking about Zalika was a useful way to spend her time but she obliged. "Zalika speaks multiple languages. Her family has ties with political leaders around the world, wizarding and Muggle. She will have connections to dig sites that we have only dreamed of having access to. She is also born into real nobility, the most important trait I thought Imari and Uncle Khari were looking for until . . ." Ash waved her hand up and down indicating Ginny was the exception.

"She's perfect," said Ginny, who went back to tidying up stray hairs but now with far less confidence.

"_Almost_ perfect," amended Ash. "She . . . spends more money than she's worth. And she's an over-opinionated bitch if you ask me but no one ever does." Ash smiled a fake sweet smile when she said that last bit.

"Her eyes glowed green," said Ginny.

Ash let out a sigh of contempt. "Her animagus is the ruthless African Leopard. Zalika is gifted in her transformations too. She can control which parts of her body change when she wants them to, so she can change only her eyes when it suits her, which is dumb if you ask me. Her eyes already stand out in a crowd around here because they're blue and she can already use them to make most people do what she wants without going all cat-eyes."

Ginny grinned in relief. Her best friend managed to dispel almost all her worries in one quick conversation.

Ash came over and helped Ginny with the last few baby hairs on her neck she'd managed to keep missing and snapped the barrette keeping them in place so that they wouldn't slip out anymore.

"Here I am trying to run away from my family and here you are trying to join it. You look good in our colors, you know. Onyx Black and Royal Purple."

"I don't have any plans to _join_ your family, Ash."

"Tell that to my cousin. I saw him before I came to your room. He's smitten. I've seen him crush on other girls, but there was always a wall. He always knew they would lead nowhere because of Uncle Khari's expectations of who he marries is its utmost importance. He's not doing that with you. He hasn't even started a real courtship but in his mind, the two of you are a done deal. A perfectly made match."

Ginny smiled in spite of herself. "When it's just Imari and I, it feels perfect . . . but I wanna know why they picked me."

Ash raised one of her eyebrows. "Me too."

Ash gave a quick glance to the door to make sure no one could hear them, then she whispered, "Uncle Khari is smart. Smarter than my brother _and_ father. If he's chosen you, he knows something Father doesn't. Uncle Khari has always believed that the _smartest_ child should inherit the family business not the eldest. Not that he'd ever help _me_ with that." Ash rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"But he _would_ help Imari," Ginny whispered back. "So how do _I_ factor in? I'm not exactly top of the class."

"I don't know," replied Ash quietly.

Ginny smiled again in spite of her answer.

"I've missed this. It's like old times when we were trying to figure out the mystery of Lockhart's faked stories."

Ash grinned back for a moment, then she went back to serious, "Do you really like Imari back?"

Ginny looked away and blushed. "I tried really hard not to."

Ash sat down next to Ginny, she propped her elbow on the table and plopped her chin in her palm.

"I don't blame you. Uncle Khari made sure Imari's mum was beautiful. My cousin is _dreamy pretty_. And he's kind. And he's smart. And he's authoritative when he needs to be. And he's rich. And. And. And."

"And I don't miss your needling!" exclaimed Ginny remembering last year how Ash needled her about Harry Potter. "Fine. Yes. I like him. Far too much to remember to look for signs as to why they picked me when he's around." She couldn't keep the smile off her face and saying it out loud made her heart race and she could feel herself shaking a bit from nerves. The two worlds she'd been living in, Ash from Hogwarts and Imari from Egypt, were beginning to meld and so far it wasn't terrible.

Ash didn't stop assessing though. She watched Ginny's every move in the mirror like a hawk with her honey brown eyes.

"Do you like him more than you like Harry Potter?" Hearing Harry's name made Ginny remember that her dad left yesterday to go check on him and she wouldn't know what was going on until tomorrow at the earliest.

"Harry Potter doesn't know I exist in that way."

"That's not what I asked."

"Ash, stop."

"It's my job to ask the questions you're refusing to ask yourself."

Ginny could feel most of her blush had melted away since they had begun talking about Harry Potter.

She glanced up to look at Ash directly.

"I don't know if I like him better. Most of my family knows Harry so well and they already consider him family. That means a lot to me. And I really trust Bill, who _adores_ Imari. But, Harry has done incredible things for the wizarding community and he literally saved my life. Imari has shown me that it's okay to be independent. This is the most amount of time I've ever spent away from adults and _nothing_ terrible has happened. Imari has saved me from my sheltered life. He's taught me that with his level of influence, the world is only as bad as you allow it to be. But again, Harry's example is: yes, the world _is_ bad. Be brave anyway."

Ginny took a deep breath. She was still worried about Harry, but she knew that if things were really serious her family would go home to support him and so far she was left where she was with the Burkes. She'd never done a side-by-side comparison of Harry and Imari before now. The two worlds were still separate enough that thinking of one versus the other was like living on two separate planets.

Ash raised her eyebrows again and waited for her to keep going. When Ginny didn't she said, "Speaking of Harry. I heard he had a dust-up with one of his Muggle family members yesterday."

"What do you mean?" asked Ginny.

"What I heard was he used _wandless_ magic to inflate his aunt and then ran away from home!"

"Wha-?" Ginny threw her hands in the air. "How is everyone suddenly doing wandless magic?"

Ash laughed, "I don't think Harry's was a controlled incident. Anyway, he's fine. Ministry people deflated his aunt and I heard he's going to stay at the Leaky Cauldron for the rest of the summer."

Ginny gave a great sigh of relief. "My dad went to check on him yesterday. Ron got worried when Harry's owl we were watching suddenly freaked out and left in a hurry."

Ash nodded sarcastically, "_Ron_ got worried, did he?"

Ginny narrowed her eyes, she could sense the needling coming back. "I was worried too, but I didn't butt in."

Ash grinned knowingly in response.

"You remember my first day in the barn?" asked Ash.

Ginny furled her eyebrows, "You mean the Livestock Lodge that burned down?"

"Yeah that. When you were telling me about Harry Potter? You were blushing, like now, and kinda shaking, like now, and you said you had butterflies in your stomach just thinking about saying it out loud. Do you have butterflies now? For Imari?"

Ginny paused.

"No. But this is different! Imari and I have been getting to know each other completely open to the idea that we could be together-together. I don't know how to explain it but it's so . . . freeing . . . knowing that the whole point of spending time together is to test those waters. Even when I'm blushing, I don't feel like I have to hold back."

"Mhmm. You've also never been in a relationship with another boy like your relationship with Imari. Never even been in any sort of relationship. So, how do you know it's what you want?"

"I don't . . . whose side are you on?"

Ash heard footsteps heading their way.

"Yours." She stood up. "And only yours," she said quietly.

Ginny believed her and gave her a small nod before there was a knock at her door.

"Enter," said Ash loudly.

Kodkey allowed the door to swing open.

"Mistress Burke. Miss Weasley. If you two would make your way to the dining hall, Senior Master Burke is ready to begin dinner."

"Thank you, Kodkey," replied Ash.

"Ashantaeeeeeeeeee!"

Ginny heard Imari greet his cousin when he poked his head into her room after Kodkey left, and she couldn't help but grin at the sight of him.

"You know I don't answer to that," said Ash in an amused voice but also rolling her eyes.

"My apologies, my favorite cousin. I just haven't seen you in months and months" said Imari although he was sporting a teasing grin. "But I am here to pick up my Guest of Honor and escort her to dinner. So, the Best-Friend-of-the-Guest-of-Honor needs to move now."

Ash genuinely laughed. "Fine. I'll escort myself," she said dramatically.

Ginny rose to take the elbow Imari had proffered to her.

"No need, favorite cousin," said Imari once he'd secured Ginny on one side of himself. "I have to two elbows!" Imari held his open arm out for Ash to loop hers through. When she did Imari announced, "And now, the three most gorgeous people in the house shall arrive together!"

Ash and Imari continued to poke fun at each other in a way only cousins who grew up together could and Ginny genuinely enjoyed both of them together. She didn't feel left out at all. The three of them were still laughing when they reached the dining hall.

There were seven other girls and five boys from Imari's class already seated. Ash's father who looked like an older and angrier version of Khari, sat at the head of the table while Khari sat to his left and Dax sat to his right. Imari went to sit next to his father and Ginny in the open seat next to him. Ash found her place next to her brother's date, a girl from Brazil who didn't speak English. Ash's seat was also directly across from Ginny.

Senior Master Burke gave Ginny one eyebrow raise, a sneer like the one she'd seen Dax do many times at school, and he spoke little. It was Khari, Imari, and especially Ash who kept the conversation going at the table. Dax followed his father's example and ignored everyone, including his poor date. Meanwhile all the boys from Imari's class were being loud and boisterous at their end of the table to the amusement of the girls there.

Ash began prodding the topic of conversation in the direction of blood purity and how it was a far less issue outside of the United Kingdom.

"I just find it interesting, Uncle," she simpered, "that for years you spouted how bloodlines of royalty and nobility were more important than those of magical purity and yet here you are, with a _Weasley_ as your Guest of Honor."

"How can you say such things about your friend?" Khari tried to turn Ash's question against her.

"I'm not saying anything is wrong with Ginny's pedigree. I'm saying she's not what _you've_ been saying _you've_ been looking for all these years. Whereas, _all of these girls_ . . . ," she gestured at the rest of the table, "have both magical lineages and noble ones and yet _my friend_ is your Guest of Honor. What changed, Uncle?"

"Daughters are to be seen. Not heard," grunted Senior Master Burke.

Ash visibly pulled back by sitting all the way upright in her chair rather than leaning over her plate as she had been while she was in discussion with her uncle.

"Yes, Father."

Ginny noticed Zalika got a smug smile on her face before going back into conversation with a girl who looked to be of Asian descent after Ash had been reprimanded.

Khari had long since had his plate taken away. He leaned forward and clasped his hands together in front of himself, "Timing," he answered Ash, even though Senior Master Burke had put an end to the conversation he'd grown tired of hearing.

Ginny felt Imari reach for her hand under the table where no one else could see them as his father finished his conversation with Ash. Ginny could feel Imari shaking from nerves just like she had been earlier and she laced her fingers with his to reassure him. Imari grinned at her and squeezed her hand.

"Miss Weasley's family happened to be visiting the area," Khari continued, oblivious to what was going on next to him and toeing the line with Senior Master Burke by continuing the conversation with Ash, fully well knowing she was no longer allowed to reply. "Her visit to the continent enabled us to become acquainted sooner and better than the rest of our guests before now. She's proven to be a competent witch, a match for Imari's inquisitive nature, and to have a zest for the same things Imari is passionate about. She has earned her position as Guest of Honor tonight. Does that satisfy you, niece?"

He looked in Imari's direction and realized his son wasn't paying him any mind.

"Besides, don't you see how happy they make each other?"

Ginny felt her cheeks burn at Khari's last remark, but she also noted Zalika's eyes narrowed.

Ash glanced in her father's direction for permission to speak again, but he was already engrossed in their final course.

"Yes, Uncle. Thank you." She gave a simpering smile that Ginny clearly read as she wanted to discuss this more at length when her father wasn't around. Khari half glanced at his brother and gave Ash the slightest of nods, indicating he was up to her challenge of continuing the conversation later. The nod was so small, Ginny never would have noticed it two weeks ago.

The meal ended when Senior Master Burke abruptly rose from the table. Everyone immediately put down the utensils they were holding, including Imari's boisterous friends from school. The table was silent and still until Senior Master Burke had exited the room and then Dax rose and dragged his date out of the room as well.

"Come," Imari dropped Ginny's hand under the table and stood. Then he held it out again for her to take in front of everyone to pull her up from her chair. She glanced at Ash, who nodded. "It's nearly dark. The match will begin soon," he said loudly enough for everyone to hear and get excited about.

Khari leaned back in his chair and smiled, clearly pleased to see Imari taking command of the room without being prompted to do so.

Everyone prepared to leave for the stadium. Tadby and a small troop of House Elves gathered from other Burke Estates who'd prepared and cleaned up the dinner, packed many blankets and were already Apparating them along with other accommodations to make their time in the cooling desert night easier to enjoy.

Ginny began to follow the last of Imari's friends out the door but Imari, still hanging onto her hand, pulled her back. Ginny stumbled in the sudden change in direction but Imari anticipated it and caught her.

They were so close. They'd technically cuddled closer than this in Kenya and walked everywhere with linked elbows when in public that Cairo dig site, but she had always been facing away or slightly away from him and it was always in fun. Looking at him straight on with such little distance between them felt different, felt thrilling, felt like it wasn't trite at all but instead she found herself to be curious and craving to see where this new proximity went.

Imari leaned down, until his forehead rested on her own.

"I wish they weren't here," he said quietly.

Ginny breathed a small laugh, "Me too."

She reached up to touch his face, pulled back at the last second, and then just went for it. He leaned into her palm against his cheek.

"What changed?" she asked. They were not this intimate just this morning. This morning they had still been just friends than any sort of together-together. This morning they were still barely bumping their shoulders against each other, a far cry from holding one another so closely.

"After we got here, I had to greet every one of them as they arrived. While you were getting ready and hanging out with my favorite cousin, I had to spend one-on-one time with each one of them."

"Sounds terrible," joked Ginny.

"They're all vultures who want my family's status and money. I could feel it. I just happen to be the tool they can use to get to it. _I_ don't actually matter to any of them."

It was a mirror image of Ash's fear. Except Imari had long since accepted the fact that there was a good chance his future marriage would only be for the furtherment of the family and nothing more, whereas Ash was never going to let herself be a pawn.

"I've spoiled you." Ginny leaned back in and rested her head on Imari's chest. She wrapped her arms all the way around him in a tight hug she'd previously only shared with her family members.

"We don't have to go to the Quidditch match," she started.

"You love Quidditch. We're going," said Imari.

"It's going to take us a bit to catch up to everyone else."

Imari shook his head with a half smile playing across his lips.

"Nah, they have to climb all those stairs."

Ginny burst out laughing and pushed Imari away.

"I'm not climbing all those stairs!" said Imari loudly while he reached out for Ginny and picked her up and spun her until she shrieked again.

"Okay! OKAY!" screeched Ginny until he stopped. Both of them gasping for breath.

"Do you want me to climb all those stairs?" Imari asked playfully.

"No!" laughed Ginny. "I want to ride the Nimbuses! I'm never going to get another opportunity!"

"Ah! Ah! See!" teased Imari. "Just after my family's status and money!"

Ginny stopped laughing.

She furled her eyebrows, "No," she shook her head, "Never."

Imari stopped laughing too and scrutinized her face.

"I believe you."

"Good," said Ginny, "because it's true."

Tadby clattered into the hall with the Nimbuses in tow, floating behind him were two very elegant cold-weather cloaks.

"Master Imari should hurry to catch up to the Sand Sailor."

Imari took the cloaks and handed one to Ginny.

Ginny gave him a puzzled look. Clearly he meant for her to wear it while traveling.

Imari threw his own cloak on over his dress robes.

"You said we're in the heart of the Sahara right?"

Imari flashed his crooked smile, the rare one signaling he was genuinely amused and not just putting on a face for show.

"The desert feels extremely cold at night."

"Master Imari is right, Miss Weasley! Miss Weasley will want the cloak Master Burke has allowed out of storage for her."

Tadby grabbed the broomsticks again and led the two of them to a set of french doors that opened to a balcony.

"I hope jumping off the balcony won't bother you," started Imari, handing Ginny one of the Nimbuses. "I find it—"

But Ginny was already gone.

The second Imari had passed her the broom she'd swung a leg over one side and kicked off hard.

She hadn't been on a broom in weeks, not since her family had come to Egypt, and she'd missed the feeling of the wind on her face. She could feel the air pulling bits of her hair out of the bun she'd so meticulously made for the dinner. She almost reached up to take it down completely and replace it with a more comfortable pony-tail before she remembered they were going to be surrounded by many people she still didn't know very well.

After a couple more spirals in the air above the balcony, Ginny allowed the broom to float back down to Imari's level, who was grinning.

"I guess, leaving from the balcony won't bother you?" he said with a hint of sarcasm as he led the way over the ledge and towards the western sky.

The way he sat astride the broom was not the comfortable look Ginny had become accustomed to seeing from her brothers and the other members of Quidditch Club. Instead, Imari somewhat reminded her of the way Colin used to sit when he first started riding. His back was far too stiff, his grip too tight, he used the inside of his feet arches to grip the broom in it's stirrups instead of balancing on his toes, and instead of leaning forward to allow the broom to fly horizontally, he sat upright so the handle of the broom was angled up slightly, making more work for the broom to fly straight and would eventually ruin the tail twigs with the added drag.

This was not going to be the fun criss-cross race through the desert Ginny had imagined. Imari drifted off at a stately pace and Ginny followed behind, taking up a position on his right and slightly behind in a Chaser Flanking position.

Fifteen minutes into their flight Imari pulled up to hover-stop. He was looking around like he was lost.

"What's wrong?" asked Ginny. It hit her that they were by themselves in the middle of the desert and there wasn't anything but sand in every direction.

"I lost the trail of the Sand Sailor," said Imari. He looked up at the stars. It was a clear night, like most in the desert, and every star shone with individual brilliance. "We took too long giving them a head start. The magic that erases the trail has already done its job." Ginny floated close to Imari, her natural defenses kicking in to back up against something known to be friendly.

Imari took her hand and pulled her closer so their legs pressed up against each other's. "You distracted me for too long," he teased, bumping his shoulder against hers more gently than usual so as not to bump himself off the broom he was riding. Ginny blushed in spite of herself.

"You said, the stadium is west of Burke Oasis?" she asked. Imari nodded, he was glancing up at the stars again. "We could see farther if we flew higher."

"There's no need," replied Imari quickly. "I've made this trip many times, we're nearly half way. It's not a far distance. Do you know how to find the North Star?"

Ginny nodded. She glanced up, but was suddenly overwhelmed. The air was so much clearer here in the dry desert air. It was not the same sky from home. Finally, she spotted the Big Dipper in the sky behind them. The front two stars pointed to their right.

"It's closer to the horizon here."

"We're practically on top of the Tropic of Cancer."

Ginny glanced to the south and realized the sky there was completely foreign to her. She'd learned the constellations for Astronomy at Hogwarts, but the maps she'd studied for the southern hemisphere ones did not do justice to seeing some of them for herself.

The wind blew a cooling breeze from the northeast and she pulled her cloak tighter.

"There should be a pair of gloves in one of the pockets," said Imari. He let go of her hand and leaned slightly forward to start the two of them towards the Sahara Stadium again.

Ginny let him drift ahead as she searched the pockets. She found a woolen-lined pair. They were slightly too large for her, as was the coat, but they had grips sewn into them and she was still able to control the Nimbus easily.

She put on a burst of speed and caught up to him easily. Returning back to his stately pace, she allowed herself to list to the right and then to the left to distract herself from the monotonous pace. Sometimes she allowed herself to drift a few broom lengths away and then would tip herself sideways hard enough to spiral through the air in a horizontal helix.

The move was so _easy_ on the Nimbus, and nigh on impossible on the old Shooting Star at home. The Nimbus's agility and easy speed bursts allowed for enough momentum to not only spin lengthwise with her, but to help pull her back up into an upright position each time.

She heard Imari laughing as he watched her test out the superb broom.

Next Ginny tested out the speed and grip accuracy of the Nimbus. She chose a near enough distance that she could get up to speed but still circle Imari easily as he pressed on towards their destination. There was a move she'd seen the Muggle children do on their two-wheeled pedal machines they rode around in the little village near The Burrow. When coming into their destination, some of the more experienced riders, instead of applying brakes to slow the wheels, would swing one leg back over to the same side as the other and would balance and ride the slowing machine on it's one foot holder for a short distance before gracefully hopping down and pulling the machine to a stop once they were fully dismounted. She wanted to try a similar trick she'd seen before hanging off the side of the broom.

She looped around the front of Imari and raced back away from him approximately half the length of the Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch and then used the Keeper's Flip to instantly turn herself back around and speed back in his direction. She held her grip steady on the handle so the broom would stay flying true and allowed herself to swing over the edge, only holding on with her grip and one foot in the stirrup of the broom and the toe of her other resting on top of that. She allowed herself to hang over the side of the broom for as long as she could hold her grip and then pulled the front part of the handle down to allow the broom to dive, giving her time to twist cat-like in the air and land back on it from above.

She rightened herself and drew in a great gasping breath at having accomplished such a feat. It was the same move that the Scottish Seeker Hector Lamont had done in the most recent Quidditch World Cup, except he had let go with one hand and had tried to use his broom to block the Canadian Seeker while doing so. He'd stretched for the Snitch but it was to no avail. The Canadian Seeker had done the same roll-spiral under him that Ginny had been doing earlier and had snatched the Snitch away from Lamont with his longer reach.

Ginny had replayed the move in her head countless times the last three years and it was exhilarating to have at least partially tried it. She was still breathing heavily as she slowed down and matched pace with Imari again. She'd seen lights in the distance and they were closing in on the stadium.

"All the research we did, and I had no idea you could fly like that," beamed Imari.

"All the research?" Ginny wrinkled her nose. She shook her head, but laughed off the comment. She knew it was a standard practice after hearing Ash complain about it all last year. "My whole family is very into Quidditch. I guess I picked up a few things."

"I guess?" laughed Imari sarcastically.

They arrived at the entrance to the stadium and Imari caught the eye of the ticket checker who waved the two of them through.

"We don't need to show our tickets?" asked Ginny.

Imari gave her a puzzled look and shook his head, "Not when you own a box."

"And of course he knows your face," joked Ginny. "We haven't gone anywhere where you aren't well known."

Imari gave her a devious smile, "_Khalil_, the ticket checker, is expecting his third child around Christmas time."

Ginny laughed and rolled her eyes, "_When_ do you have time to talk to all these people?"

"When I'm not courting of course!" laughed Imari loudly, who was now following a line of other broom riders who were taking turns traveling up the side of the stadium elevator style to arrive over the wall of the boxes they would be sitting in.

: : : : :

In the private Burke top box Tadby collected their Nimbuses and Ginny waited in her seat next to Imari's while he went to arrange for everyone in the party to receive programs for the game. The stadium wasn't nearly as large as the one used for the last Quidditch World Cup, but this time she was as high as one could go.

The desert air was much chillier this high up and the main stadium lights were still dimmed while everyone else climbed the staircases to find their seats. Ginny pulled her heavy coat tighter around herself until Tadby turned on the box's outdoor heaters in the corners behind her.

Khari and the other girls and boys were beginning to arrive from the stair cases and Ginny smiled pleasantly at them as they chose their seats in front of but slightly below hers and Imari's. Senior Master Burke and Dax and his date went to sit with Khari in the cordoned off section of the box and Ash stopped to chat with a young girl just outside the entrance to the Burke top box. The girl had fly-away mousy-brown hair, dazzling blue eyes even from the distance Ginny was watching, and her laughter carried well over the din of the stadium. Ash tilted her head towards the Burke top box and the girl seemed interested in joining the party but politely declined.

"STORY!" rang out a voice Ginny only somewhat recognized. One of the girls from Hogwarts that Kindra tried buddying up to last year strolled over to Ash and the mousy-haired girl and steered the mousy-haired girl away. Ash sighed heavily and sat down in Imari's empty seat next to Ginny while watching the two of them go to their own seats a few boxes away.

"Who's that?" asked Ginny.

"Astoria and Daphne Greengrass. Astoria starts at Hogwarts this fall."

"She a friend?" pressed Ginny.

Ash paused, "She's one of the few tolerable people worth associating with."

Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"Slytherin will probably destroy that about her."

"She might not be in Slytherin," said Ginny.

Ash nodded, "Trust me, she'll be in Slytherin."

"Well, she'll have you," said Ginny placatingly.

"That worked out real well for you though didn't it?" said Ash sardonically.

Both girls noticed Imari was on his way back with Tadby in tow carrying programs to pass out. Ash started to get out of Imari's chair but Ginny put a hand on her arm. It seemed like their brief truce to stand together against Zalika and against a possible betrothal for Ginny in Ginny's suite was on pause and they were back to the way things were when they left Hogwarts last spring.

"I'm totally over all that Valentine's Day stuff you know. Tom in the Diary is gone and all that crap Kindra keeps saying isn't worth my time anymore either. Ash, I'm sorry . . . and _I miss you._"

"You are my favorite cousin Mistress Burke," said Imari loudly, interrupting them, "but get out of my chair!" He had a smile all the while and seemed oblivious to the tension between the two girls.

Ash smiled for her cousin and then turned her attention back to Ginny. "We'll finish this conversation later, when I have you all to myself again." She made a mock scathing face at her cousin for interrupting and went to her own seat.

Imari leaned sideways towards Ginny, "Everything okay with you two?"

Ginny smiled, "Yes, I think so." Perhaps Imari _had_ noticed the tension.

"Well, you should know if you two continue to fight over me, I won't pretend to be sad about it."

Ginny laughed. "We were _not_ fighting over you," she affirmed.

"Some other boy then?"

"No!"

"Good. I'd be very jealous."

: : : : :

The match wasn't Quidditch World Cup caliber. But the Bulgarian team managed to pull it off. The Seeker, Kirov, held the Snitch in the air and made several victory laps around the stadium in celebration. On his tenth lap, the crowd getting all the louder, Ginny had to shout to ask what was going on. Imari pointed at her program and Ginny flipped to a page featuring the Bulgarian Seeker.

Kirov had recently announced his retirement. This was his last game and he was able to go out with a bang on his career by catching the Snitch one last time, while simultaneously helping to earn the Bulgarians a spot in this coming year's Quidditch World Cup finals tournament. The Bulgarian team were in the last rounds of tryouts for a replacement and the short article mentioned a quote from the team Captain Vasily Dimitrov, "Kirov will get us into the playoffs, we won't stop looking until we find someone who can keep us there!"

Suddenly, confetti cannons went off everywhere and Kirov took one final victory lap before disappearing into a crowd of reporters for final interviews. When the last confetti cannon finally went off, the noise died down considerably and everyone started to make their way back to the ground.

"Ashantae?" Senior Master Burke was holding his arm out for his daughter to take so he could Apparate them back to their residence.

"I'd like to stay at Burke Oasis for the night, if that's alright, Father." Ash had sprung up during the victory laps of Kirov and was standing with Imari and Ginny celebrating, but the look she gave her father was borderline pleading. It was a look Ginny had never seen on her before. Ash always spoke to the people around her with an innate authority.

Senior Master Burke looked bored, but he gave a nod in agreement. He held up his other arm for Dax to grip who also took his date's hand and the three of them Disapparated together.

"Bed as soon as you three get back," said Khari and then he also Disapparated.

Tadby clattered towards Imari with the Nimbuses.

"Take those home, Tadby," said Ash. She waved the House Elf away. "Imari and Ginny will ride the boat home with me."

Tadby paled. Technically Imari was his immediate master, but it was obvious Ash out-ranked him. To obey her order, he had to disobey Imari. It was an interesting dynamic Ginny had never thought about before and it reinforced her ideal that House Elves shouldn't be enslaved.

Imari handled it gracefully. "It's okay, Tadby. The boat will be a warmer ride home. Go ahead and Apparate those back to their displays."

Tadby glanced at Ash before saying, "Yes, Master Imari, Sir!"

Once the House Elf was gone, Imari turned to Ash. "I really wish you wouldn't do that," he said through gritted teeth.

Ash smiled big. "You shouldn't get so attached."

"There wouldn't be anything to worry about if your father would just allow them to be given or even sold to family members instead of loaned."

Ash sighed, "I'm sorry. I just don't want to ride back by myself with Zalika."

Ginny had to interrupt, "Why do you guys keep saying boat? We're in the middle of the desert."

"You'll see," said Ash with a grin. They headed to the stairs.

Ginny gave Imari a quizzical look but changed it to an amused smile when they reached the stairs.

"Down is totally fine," he muttered to her under his breath. "It's the climbing of stairs."

Ginny laughed loudly.

Zalika had managed to push her way to be right behind the three of them.

"Don't see what's so funny these days, with Sirius Black having escaped Azkaban."

Ginny, Ash, and Imari all turned to face her. They were at the top of the stadium and the people on the lower levels were still converging at the staircases. The line wasn't moving where they were standing for some time now.

"Who?" asked Ginny. "Someone from _Azkaban?_"

Zalika was staring at Ginny straight in her eyes. "You have anything to do with that?"

Ginny was taken aback. "What on earth would make you think that?" she asked.

"Shut up, Zalika!" said Ash, her honey brown eyes were blazing.

"Everyone knows Black was one of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's biggest supporters and the way I hear it, we almost got another one of You-Know-Who last year thanks to this girl. I don't think it's that far of a stretch to wonder if she had a hand in both."

Ginny froze. No one. Not one person she knew in her immediate circle would've betrayed her like that.

"What do _you_ know about what happened at Hogwarts last year?" demanded Ash.

Zalika turned her piercing gaze from Ginny to Ash and finally to Imari. "I know Deverill spilled quite a bit about it at a party in London a few weeks ago. Until Cassidy gave her a smack on the shoulder to quiet her anyway," she smirked. "That Deverill has always been desperate for attention and will go on about anything as long as someone will listen."

Deverill. Charlotte Deverill. And Cassidy. Thaliana Cassidy. Of course. They shared a dorm with Ginny in Gryffindor tower at Hogwarts and both of their families were Muggle liaisons to the Muggle Minister of Magic. The two were practically raised as sisters in Muggle high society, though they had separate best friends at school and Ash did say that Zalika had ties to political figures around the world, both Muggle and wizard alike.

It started happening again. The memories were flooding back. Petrified Mrs. Norris. Petrified Colin. Petrified Nearly-Headless Nick and Justin Finch-Fletchy. Petrified Hermione and Penelope. Tom coming out of the Diary.

Ginny started breathing heavily to combat the onset of panic. Imari, who'd been quietly watching the volley of words, put his arm around her shoulders to pull her in close.

"Enough, Zalika. This girl is clearly not capable of the things you are accusing her of," his voice was low. Similar to how Ginny's dad spoke to him when he told Imari to protect Ginny like she was a Burke.

"I d-didn't . . ." Ginny stammered. She was getting her bearings back. "I didn't even know Black escaped," she said.

Zalika gave Ginny one more once-over. "You're right Imari. How can this girl be capable of such things. She's terrified at the thought. She's no threat." Zalika whisked herself away back to the gaggle of other Uagadou students with enough of an air of superiority to rival Kindra Avery's from Hogwarts.

The line finally began to move and Ginny, Ash, and Imari began to descend in silence. Ginny could feel the tears from the memories threatening to fall, but she held them back with each turn of the staircase. She held them back when they boarded the private yacht-sized ship with half it's hull buried in the sand. She held them back as the magical boat began sailing through the sand as smoothly as a normal one sailed through water all the way back to the hidden wizarding community where Burke Oasis resided.

Once they were in the town center and all the girls from around the world and Imari's classmates had de-boarded to meet their various families' escorts to go home, Imari asked Ash to elaborate on what Zalika had said. Ash gave a questioning look to Ginny and Ginny silently motioned for Ash to go ahead. The boat began to sail directly to Burke Oasis and Ash let out the whole story of what she knew had happened to Ginny. Imari, arm around Ginny once again after hearing how she'd realized she'd begun to miss time, listened with rapt attention.

"What kind of magic allows a memory to grow a body?" asked Imari.

"That's what Bill asked," replied Ginny in a near-whisper.

Tadby separated Imari and Ginny once the trio arrived at the front door, insisting that it had been a long night and they all needed rest, and Ash took Ginny to her suite.

Ginny was still numb after Ash had gone to greater lengths than she ever had before trying to lift Ginny's spirits. She still replaying what Zalika said over and over in her head. _I don't think it's that far of a stretch to wonder if she had a hand in both._

Is that what everyone else is going to think too?

She could feel herself drifting off into an uneasy sleep.

: : : : :

"STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!"

Ginny was thrashing around. His eyes were staring at her again. His smile as handsome as ever and at the same time completely repulsive.

The torch in the hall flickered weakly and then blazed to life. It was still mostly dark outside, but there was a faint light from the window as well.

Ash ran into the room, "Ginny! Ginny! What's wrong? Tadby!"

"He was staring at me again!" The nightmare was fresh. Ginny knew she was coming down from the terror and now that she was awake the feeling of dread would eventually ebb away.

"WHO?" shrieked Ash. "Who was staring at you?" She snapped her glance around the room, looked back behind her down the hall, and then ran to the window and threw open the curtains and searched the yard. "TADBY!"

Tadby appeared with a crack. He looked around and seeing nothing amiss other than Ginny upset, he only uttered, "Mistress Burke?"

"Tadby, did anyone get on the property?" shouted Ash. "Someone you don't know?"

"No, Mistress."

"Ash, it was in my dream," said Ginny through her deep breaths.

Ash let out a visible sigh of relief. "A dream. That we can fix."

"Tadby start some tea," began Ash.

"No!" said Ginny quickly. Tadby swung his head in her direction in surprise. She'd never been sharp in his entire time he'd known her. "Sorry, no. Hot chocolate please. The chocolate helps."

Ash nodded at Tadby and he disappeared with another loud crack.

Ash crawled into the bed to lay down right next to Ginny. "You had a nightmare of someone staring at you?" she asked the question half-serious and half-confused.

"It was _Him_. Tom from the Diary." She'd never told Ash the details of what happened in the Chamber of Secrets regarding Tom. All anyone ever wanted to hear about was how Harry defeated the basilisk. She gave Ash the shorthand.

"He was siphoning your . . . what? Life essence . . . for himself? How?"

"The Diary. Writing in it created some sort of bond. The more you wrote the stronger it got. He used that bond. He made me watch him while he watched me die. I couldn't do anything to stop it."

Ash sunk deeper under the covers and pulled Ginny close. "I had no idea it," she whispered.

Tadby brought the hot chocolate and the two girls sat up a bit to drink them. Ginny drained nearly half of hers on her first go. She could feel her insides warming instantly and the warmth quickly coursed through her everywhere.

"Shall I fetch Master Imari?" asked Tadby quietly.

Ash shook her head no, "We'll tell him in the morning, you can go. Thank you, Tadby." She turned to Ginny, "Want me to stay the rest of the night?"

It was the first time Ginny had had a nightmare since she'd started spending time with Imari and she was thousands of miles away from all of her family. She nodded and the two girls both pulled the blankets up over themselves.

"I'll stay awake until you fall back to sleep," whispered Ash.

Ginny nodded again and forced herself to replay the Quidditch match over and over in her mind to keep out the memories of Tom until she finally drifted off once more.


	4. Chapter 4: A Penny Found

Ginny Weasley and the Curse of the Lost

Chapter 4: A Penny Found

She woke bleary-eyed.

Ash was already up for the day and gone from the room. Tadby was kind enough to have brought her a glass of water and he'd laid out a fuzzy bathrobe and a towel set.

Ginny had never in her life had her own bathroom. The one in her guest suite at Burke Oasis was towards the back of her suite, near her personal closet which itself was mostly empty. For this being one of their smaller estates, the Burke Oasis guest bathroom was bigger than her bedroom back home.

Home.

Her vacation here was definitely over.

The Weasleys still had a couple more weeks before they were due to head back but this was the last time Ginny would be seeing Imari for some time. Something about her being able to consider all of her "options" before she was officially of age to be courted. Not that she'd had any other options to consider.

After her shower she changed into her regular clothes and carefully laid out the borrowed earrings and dress robes for Tadby to find later. She drew her brush through her hair, straightened out her side part, and picked up her wand to instantly dry the red mane from roots to tips. No pony-tail today.

She packed all of her belongings and almost began dragging her overnight case behind her before remembering to leave it at the foot of her bed for Tadby to bring along later. "Formalities," Tadby would say whenever she tried to do for herself like she'd been taught.

She found Ash, Imari, and Khari at the table with brunch served to accommodate everyone having stayed up late for the Quidditch match.

All three of them greeted her warmly and Khari pulled out a chair for her to sit down between himself and Ash.

"I heard you'd had quite a scare last night," began Khari. "I apologize it happened under my roof."

Ash loaded up a plate full of local fruit and set it in front of Ginny.

"It's in no way your fault and it's getting better, sir," replied Ginny sincerely. She smiled at Ash in thanks and began picking at a date.

"Zalika was out of line," muttered Imari.

"We aren't going to let the words of little girls frighten us anymore though, are we?" asked Khari.

Ginny wanted to protest. It wasn't Zalika's words. It was the memories her words stirred. But Khari was right. This was essentially Voldemort they were talking about and it wouldn't be the last time someone tried to use that experience against her. She should learn to fortify herself now.

"Absolutely not, sir," replied Ginny with a new found conviction on the matter.

Khari let out a grin and shook his finger in her direction, "Ashantae said you were a fighter. I see it now." He got up from his chair. "Imari will see you out, my dear. Ashantae, report back to your father today. Don't wander off on my watch."

Ash rolled her eyes in a rare display of annoyance. Normally she kept her face as impassive as possible. But she uncharacteristically leaned back on the back two legs of her chair, popped a date into her own mouth and gave her uncle a smile and nod in reply.

"I'm off to the office to catch up on what I missed yesterday. Miss Weasley, I hope to make plans to see you again in the coming years."

"Have a good day, sir," replied Ginny.

"Father says I still have to keep Zalika on the list," said Imari dully after Khari left the room.

"You know Uncle Khari just thinks it was a little cat-fight with Ginny. He thinks it's good that they are fighting over you. Ups your odds on having your pick when the time comes," said Ash. "He's going to want to keep that gossip going for as long as possible."

"Great," mumbled Ginny going back to her dates.

"Nobody at Hogwarts even knows Zalika," reassured Ash.

"Thaliana and Charlotte do," countered Ginny. Without Khari there anymore the atmosphere relaxed and Ginny rested both of her elbows on the table, fisted one hand and cupped it in the other and leaned her chin down to rest on the pyramid they formed while she contemplated the whispering about her as soon as term started.

"They don't matter," said Ash flatly, choosing another date.

Ginny looked at her with furled eyebrows.

"At Hogwarts it's about blood purity remember? Thaliana and Charlotte won't be in those circles. It'll be fine."

Ginny gave a weak smile. Mollified, and knowing Ash would be there when this story flew around Hogwarts assuaged most of her worries about being the center of gossip as soon as they arrived back.

"Tadby!" said Ash loudly.

The little House Elf appeared in the room with a crack, dishrag hanging in his right hand.

"Find out which estate my father is in today. I'd rather not search them all and be late checking in."

"At once, Young Mistress Burke!" Tadby disappeared, dishrag and all.

"You have your own House Elf you know," pointed out Imari.

"Really?" said Ginny, finally distracted from last night's wretchedness.

"Firefly. You met her at the Burke Onsen in Japan," replied Imari.

"The minute I call her she doesn't leave my side for days." Annoyance crossed her features and Ash shook her head at the prospect. "I like Tadby. He tries to escape my attention at every opportunity," she said with amusement.

Ginny could see traces of jealousy flair up for just the briefest of seconds in Imari's eyes. Ash could easily take away his favorite House Elf if she truly desired.

"Don't worry," said Ash, who also noticed her cousin's fury flit across his face for a moment. "I'll never take him from you. I _like_ that he doesn't stick around, but if he becomes mine he'll never go away."

Tadby reappeared and he stood ready at Ash's side until she shifted her attention to him.

"Senior Master Burke is spending the day at the London Estate, Young Mistress Burke."

Ash rolled her eyes, "Squabbling with the goblins again. It's just after midday. We should all be going."

Ginny didn't realize it was so late already. She shifted her attention to Imari and felt a panic like she'd never known before set in. She'd been so absorbed in the idea of the Quidditch match and the birthday surprise and dinner with Ash's father that she'd forgotten her last few hours with him were dwindling away and now they were over.

Tadby disappeared to Apparate Ginny's trunk to Bill's office, even though she could've wheeled it through the fire herself.

Ash led them to the room with all the Everlasting Floo Fires connecting to each of the estates.

"I'll see you in a few weeks," she said to Ginny. "And I'll see you . . . whenever I see you again," she grinned at Imari.

Imari gave his favorite cousin a smile and Ash disappeared through one of the orange fires that only allowed members of the Burke family through.

"Your London Estate is off limits to non-family members?" asked Ginny.

"Not usually," replied Imari. "I think I wasn't allowed to bring you back to the U.K. as a precaution since Black escaped."

Ginny looked at the ground as she was painfully reminded of how Zalika instantly jumped to the conclusion that she had something to do with his escape same as she'd nearly loosed another He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on the world.

She looked up and stared at the plaque marked Cairo Offices, but she couldn't seem to walk towards it.

Imari held out his elbow for Ginny to take one last time. Slowly, she looped hers around it, but when Imari went to walk forward she pulled back.

"I've never had a time-limit on a friendship before."

"Our friendship isn't over," countered Imari, looking perplexed.

"When I walk through that Fire, it's never going to be the same as it is right now."

Imari circled around Ginny to stand between her and the Fire that would take her back to her family.

A slow smile crept over his face. "I can't say I'm sorry you feel that way."

She had his full attention and it was her last shot. She had to know.

"Why am I your first candidate? What do you get out of a match with me?"

Imari ran his index finger down the strands of bangs that weren't quite the same length as the rest of her hair and had separated itself.

"I get a girl who is beautiful inside and out and will add value to the Burke name by being exactly who she already is," he replied with a far-away look in eye. Almost as though he were trying to get a glimpse of the future featuring the two of them center stage.

Ginny took half a step back and lifted her chin. "You promised the truth from now on," she pressed. She could tell she'd backed him into a corner and she had no idea if he would cave no matter how long she held her ground.

Imari sighed in defeat.

"When we researched your family history, we went back as far as we possibly could. It seems your family surfaced out of nowhere sometime in the tenth century. Anyway, females born in the Weasley clan were a precious few and far between, but what's more, the children of those few females were always numerous and always _all_ male."

Ginny took another full step back.

"You chose me because I'm likely to have _numerous children_? How many exactly?"

"The female Weasleys went on to have between five to seven boys each, sometimes more. However, we would pay your last bride price installment after a third son is born healthy. It would be substantial compared to most of course, as most bride prices only require a single son."

Imari was speaking calmly, almost nonchalantly, like he'd been in on discussions regarding this topic for quite some time now.

"Bride price?" That was a term rarely used and suddenly this was getting all too real.

"They're not common, I know. But my father is willing to go to great lengths to get what he wants and when other families begin to see you as a viable match for similar reasons, he wants your family to know that no one will match our price."

Ginny started to shake her head back and forth and she could feel panic trying to creep in.

"So what's the plan? I graduate, take my NEWTS and . . . oh well, who cares what I get because I'm getting married and popping out a bunch of kids anyway?"

"Actually," started Imari, "you're seventeenth birthday is before your final year at Hogwarts. There would be no need for it as you can be married then."

Ginny looked at Imari incredulously. "_SKIP MY NEWTS?"_

She began to breathe heavily in indignation. Bill traveled the world with his achievements from his NEWTS and Charlie became a magizoologist and now he was studying to become dragonologist specifically but she would be expected to just give up her NEWTS entirely?

"Why even bother going to school at all?" she was nearly shrieking.

Suddenly, she saw herself with children everywhere, even a set of twins like her family, and she was yelling at them for their tiny infractions because these children had to live up to higher standards than she was raised with as they would be Burkes.

"I DON'T WANT MY MOTHER'S LIFE!"

She clapped her hands over her mouth in shame.

"You wouldn't have it," argued Imari amenably. "You would have servants and many estates to raise them and they would have the ability to go to any school we choose anywhere in the world . . ." he trailed off when he noticed the panic in her expression.

"You don't understand," said Ginny, calming down. "My mother is _really good_ at magic. She can use multiple spells together and her talent is _wasted_ on household chores." Just saying the words made Ginny's stomach tie itself in knots. She certainly didn't want to be demeaning about her mother's life, but she wanted more for herself at the same time. She wasn't ashamed of her mother, not for one minute, but she knew in her heart that her mother could've been doing amazing things if she hadn't been busy raising her and her brothers.

"You're looking at it all wrong," said Imari. "As a Burke you can both be a mother and do almost anything you can dream of. What _do_ you want?"

"I . . ." Ginny didn't have an answer. She hadn't thought of her life beyond wearing the same Gryffindor Quidditch uniforms as her brothers but that didn't mean she wanted it all planned out either.

Whenever she thought of an older version of herself it was the same image over and over. She was doing the same broomstick move as the Scottish Seeker from the most recent Quidditch World Cup, except when she reached for the Snitch, she caught it.

"Quidditch," she whispered.

"What?" said Imari.

"I want to play Quidditch," said Ginny.

"Professionally?" Imari failed to hide his own incredulous look.

"Maybe," she shrugged her shoulders.

Imari looked like he had something to say but instead he bit his lip.

"What?" Ginny knew it must be hard for him to believe her. She was starting to realize that although she had gotten to know much of his world, he was woefully behind in knowing anything about hers.

"An athlete's best professional years tend to be the same optimal years to begin having children. It's already in your contract, should you choose to sign it, that you won't do anything to physically impede yourself from bearing children."

"_NO QUIDDITCH EVER?"_ The panic was beginning to set in again. "No. Absolutely not. I don't want any part of this. Not anymore."

Ginny started to make a beeline for the Everlasting Floo Fire.

"Wait!"

Imari desperately reached for her arm but she jerked it away as easily as she did from her brothers when they tried to stop her from doing as she wished as well.

"Please!"

Ginny stopped an inch from the friendly blue flames.

"Nothing has to be decided right now!"

She turned around to face him one last time, eyes narrowed, daring him to give her a reason that could possibly offset what she'd just been told.

"I wouldn't stop you from attending your final year of school. I also want to attend mine."

Ginny raised one eyebrow, that was something at least.

"So, because _you_ would be busy anyway, it's _okay_ that I do something for myself in the meantime?" she asked. "What's the rush anyway? Why has my birthday already been considered?"

Imari looked like it was another answer he didn't want to give.

She shook her head in disappointment and turned back to the Fire. "So much for the truth."

"There's a reason we have a hand in the digging up of buried treasure!"

She was halfway through the Fire and almost didn't hear him through the whooshing sound in her ears.

That was not what she was expecting to hear at all and it piqued her interest just enough to make her turn around again. "What do you mean?" she asked, having edged back into the estate.

"In our family, some of us have an affinity. We can sense within objects and trinkets that they once belonged to royals. We can sense land that once belonged to royals. We can sometimes even sense royal blood running in a person's veins. It makes it so easy to pick through dig sites and artifacts and find the ones of value. We know right away, we just have to verify it officially later."

"What?"

She had never heard of anything of the like. She'd heard of some families having affinities, like some who could heal with their bare hands without the aid of a potion, spell, or wand, and her brother Charlie grew up with a friend who could change her appearance at will.

"What does that have to do with anything between you and me?"

"Dakarai doesn't have the affinity. My father has it, my uncle has it, and so do I. But not Dakarai."

"What about Ash?"

"Ashantae can't pass on the Burke name. It doesn't matter if she has the affinity or not. We don't test the girls."

Ginny rolled her eyes at that response, but she was putting two and two together.

"So, if Dakarai doesn't have any heirs with the affinity . . ." she trailed off.

"And I have many that _do_; my uncle would be forced to rename me as his heir to the Senior Master Burke title and not Dakarai."

There it was. At last. That's where she fit. She knew all along she was just a piece in a bigger puzzle and now it was clear. Imari and his father were in the beginning stages of a coup.

"What about Ash? What if she _does_ has the affinity? Wouldn't your uncle try to find ways to justify her over you if she does? Somehow? How can you ask me to help you steal my best friend's own birthright?"

"Stealing her birthright? You'd be _saving_ her!" Suddenly Imari bent over double. He was clutching his right arm just below the wrist with his left hand like he was in an incredible amount of pain.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" Alarmed Ginny ran all the way back into the room to help Imari but he was already standing back up. He continued to hold his right arm close to his torso and hunched over it as though protecting it while at the same time flinging his left hand up at Ginny to signal her to come no closer.

"I'm fine. It just twinges sometimes when I forget about it."

Seeing Imari in pain drove everything they had just been arguing about clean out of Ginny's mind.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She glanced down at his hand but he was already wringing it as if it had fallen asleep and he was trying to get the blood flow back.

Imari shook his head. He flexed his right hand and it seemed to be back to normal. When it appeared to be working normally again, he pulled her into a hug and breathed a deep frustrated sigh.

"Does Ash know about your family's affinity?" She pulled him deeper into the hug as well and was silently berating herself for nearly leaving on such an angry note.

"Yes. And she's furious that she's never going to be tested."

"I don't blame her," replied Ginny.

She had more questions. She wanted to know if other Burke girls had been tested in the past. If other Burke girls had ever inherited the family business and if so under what circumstances. However, Imari wasn't the Burke to ask. She would have to save those for when she got back to Hogwarts and could get a straight answer from Ash.

She mentally backtracked and thought about every word Imari said.

"I don't blame you for doing your best to help your father with this mission to rename you as the Burke Heir. It sounds like it's probably going to be an inevitability anyway," she murmured into his chest.

She pulled back a bit to be able to see Imari's face. "But I'm not going to promise to keep any of this from Ash."

Imari gave her a reassuring smile. "I weighed that before I told you. She's already aware we're going to try to have me renamed the heir. That has been discussed back and forth within the family since it was discovered Dakarai didn't have the affinity."

"But she doesn't know why you and your father chose to pursue me."

"No," agreed Imari reluctantly. "The more people who find out our reasons, the more who will add you to their own lists of candidates."

Ginny understood what Imari wasn't saying. If she chose not to tell Ash about her family's history, then he would also continue to keep the information from Ash as well.

"If your family has been discussing this, and Ash is already aware, why have you been acting like it's some huge secret?" asked Ginny.

"It's not something the family wants advertised to the world. If our family seems unstable in any way, especially with how we will be choosing who inherits our fortune, families around the world will pull out of any agreed courtships and betrothals."

Ginny rolled her eyes. She shook her head in disbelief that the opinions of people who weren't close friends and weren't family could have such an impact on the Burkes.

It helped make up her mind all the quicker.

She reached out with both hands to take one of Imari's in each and then tilted her head to look up into his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she breathed it out in a near whisper. "You and your father's secrets are safe with me from the world, but I officially decline all of it."

Imari looked like he wanted to convince her otherwise, but instead he only bowed his head in defeat and he didn't resist when she tugged her hands out of his and walked through the fire alone. She knew she'd crushed him and she couldn't bring herself to look back one last time only to see that crushed look.

: : : : :

"Hey, Princess," chirped Bill when Ginny blew into his office. He was sitting at his desk with tons of loose papers depicting all kinds of maps and charts laying on top of one another haphazardly.

"I said don't call me that!" screeched Ginny, tears threatening to fall already.

"Whoa! What's going on?" asked Bill. He scooped her up and cradled her small form while he sat back down in his office chair.

Ginny couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She'd always known she'd never like the answer of why the Burkes were so interested in her, but she'd done exactly what she'd tried so hard to avoid and she'd gotten too close to Imari and she knew things would never be the same between them again.

She clung to her eldest brother as she sobbed and sobbed.

"I want to go home," she sniffed when she'd finally calmed down.

"Okay, I was just here catching up on some paperwork until you came back. We can go back to the hotel right now."

"No, I want to go _home!_" reiterated Ginny. "I can't be here anymore. I hate this place! I hate this world I've been living in! I want my room!"

Bill let out a sigh, "Mum and Dad aren't keen on going home any time soon. Probably not until the very last minute before school starts."

"_Why?_" she was desperately trying to dry her tears, but speaking made it difficult.

"Because it's . . ." Bill trailed off.

"Because it's not safe," she interjected angrily. "Because Sirius Black escaped and they haven't caught him yet," finished Ginny.

"You heard about that?'

Ginny nodded. The anger helped. She was able to slow her tears to periodical leaks instead of uncontrollable sobbing.

"One of the girls at the dinner said it wasn't too far of a stretch to think I had something to do with it, same as I had something to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named almost coming back."

Bill let out a sigh of rage of his own. "I told dad we should've told you kids from the get go. He and mum just wanted you kids to have a real vacation. Come on. Let's get going."

"Bill, wait." Ginny wiped her tears so she would feel more level headed and then she looked up at her brother while still cradled in his arms. "What do you know about the girls born into the Weasley family? About their children?" If she'd learned anything from having Voldemort in her head, it was to not trust the mere words someone tells you, but to always find all the information you can yourself.

: : : : :

The Weasleys spent the rest of their vacation in Egypt with little distraction from back home or from the Burkes. Ginny had spent the first few nights after the Quidditch match in silent tears before falling asleep. The nightmares resurfaced, hitting as hard as ever, and no one in her family believed she was upset with anything more than the vicious words of Zalika at the Quidditch Stadium.

The truth was she missed Imari terribly.

She missed how his eyes would light up when he got excited as he talked about where he was taking her in the world to explore next. She missed the snarky sound of his real laugh and the way he would talk quietly in her ear after pulling her close. She missed how he would hold out his elbow for her to take and stare her down with a dare to refuse him in his eyes until she finally laughed and looped hers through his. She missed how her heart would race every morning with anticipation of seeing him again until he finally walked into Bill's office and whisked her away for the day. She missed how she would be instantly calmed once she was actually in his presence and re-realized every day that he had been looking forward to seeing her again just as much. She missed how easy it was to talk to him. She missed his kindness and his confidence.

The family as a whole were still having fun in Egypt but for Ginny the days crept by. When Ron stole her wand ("She can't use it right now anyway!") and took off with the twins Ginny was more upset at how it reminded her of her wandless lessons with Imari far more than the actual theft had bothered her.

The Weasleys went to the Lost Library of Alexandria on her twelfth birthday but somehow the grand bookcases filled with scrolls centuries old weren't so amazing without Imari there to follow Ginny around like their first day together when she had excitedly flit from one area to the next, showing his real amused smile for the first time as she did so.

The Lost Library was one of the oldest wizarding secrets hidden inside the Muggle world, with most Muggles believing that the Library had burned during Julius Caesar's reign along with everything within. Instead, scholarly wizards who had been onsite saved the structure but made the outside appear to have been destroyed. Trusting Muggles with such a valuable information stock no longer, they opted to keep it hidden forever. Signs were on display inside the Lost Library explaining how the local Muggles were in the process of designing a new Bibliotheca Alexandrina based on the memory of the Lost Library and all the secret ways wizards were going to be allowed to come and go when it was finished.

"I bet Hermione would love this place," Ginny said to Ron as she listlessly followed her family around from section to section. She tried to be excited for her mum since the family waited for her birthday to visit, but keeping up the appearance of having a good time wore on her every day.

"She would totally love it here," replied Ron. "She would also probably never leave."

"You should bring her someday. You know, when you're all grown up."

"What's that supposed to mean?" snapped Ron.

Confused at his sudden demeanor change, Ginny pulled herself out of her own despondency. "Nothing!" she snapped back, matching her brother's attitude. "I think she would like it, and now you've been here. So you can show her around."

Ron kept a guarded look on his face, but the tips of his ears betrayed him by turning bright red. With a start, Ginny realized her brother wasn't being defensive out of anger, but embarrassment.

She still wrote letters back and forth with Ash and Colin. Colin was finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in the last of his catch up work. He had much more time these days to practice his broom riding and if he kept up his pace with his studies, he might even be allowed to go home for the last week of the holidays before the regular school year resumed.

Ginny was more guarded with her letters to Ash. She hadn't decided how much she wanted to tell her she knew about what was going on within her family, but she definitely knew she didn't want any of it in writing.

When her and Ron finally got confirmation of when the family would be heading back home, neither one of them wasted any time informing Ash, Colin, and Hermione, in the hopes of meeting up with them when they were in Diagon Alley.

"Mum!" hollered Ron when he received Hermione's reply. "Hermione wants to know if she can meet us at the Leaky Cauldron the morning we go school supply shopping?"

Molly poked her head out from around the corner of the sitting room in the family's suite where she had been mending one of the twin's school robes. "Of course! Tell her to tell her parents that if she wants to stay the night with us she's welcome to bunk with Ginny and we'll take her to King's Cross the next morning!"

George walked by Ron and elbowed him playfully, "Permission to have a girl spend the night, nice one!"

This time, Ron's ears went red faster than Ginny had ever seen before.

"Shut it," replied Ron, too embarrassed to tease back.

Ginny held her hands up in a questioning manner to Bill and Charlie who were sitting at the little kitchen table with her while she finished up the last of her summer essays with their help. "Do I not get a say in who gets to bunk with me?"

Bill and Charlie exchanged a knowing look.

"We didn't get a say when mum and dad brought you lot home and we had to share our rooms," retorted Charlie with a grin. Bill let out a deep laugh in agreement.

Ginny's jaw dropped open at her brothers' implication that they didn't want any more siblings. She grabbed the remainder of the homemade chips off her plate and chucked them at Charlie. It was the first time she'd seen him make a joke since their vacation started and his grin brought the first one to her own face in the days since she'd said good-bye to Imari.

"Mum! Ginny's making a mess!" bellowed Charlie as he caught as many chips mid-air as he could and flung them back at Ginny.

"Who's the adult, Charlie?" Molly called back without looking.

Ginny pointed at Charlie in victory and cackled the laugh she saved exclusively for when her brothers tried to get her in trouble and it backfired.

: : : : :

Finally, nearly three weeks after her birthday, it was the last day of vacation. No one had seen or heard anything about Sirius Black but Arthur and Percy went back to the Burrow a day early to make sure the property was clear before the rest of the family returned.

Bill, Charlie, and Molly got Ginny, Ron, and twins back to the Egyptian International Magical Cooperation Office without incident (after traveling around Egypt most days, the family had gotten very good at traveling efficiently) and Bill and Charlie waved the five of them off as the Portkey disappeared. Charlie still had a couple of days to kill with Bill before he was due back to the Dragon Reserve in Romania.

Mr. Crouch met them in the room they appeared in. The twins each reached out a hand to help Ginny up after springing up themselves and immediately shoved her behind them with identical wary looks at the Ministry Official.

"Molly," he nodded in their mother's direction. "How was your family's vacation in the desert?" He made no mention of Ginny.

"Wonderful," replied Molly. Ginny couldn't discern if her mother was being polite honestly or not.

"Excellent!" He led them out of the tiny receiving room, towards Arthur's office. When they reached the hallway for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, Arthur and Percy came strolling around the corner from the Main Atrium having used the Floo Network from home.

"I got them from here, Barty!" called Arthur. Ginny watched as her dad shook hands with Mr. Crouch as though the conversation earlier in the summer never happened and then Mr. Crouch bid them all a good shopping trip in Diagon Alley before departing back to his own office.

Arthur and Molly began shepherding everyone back to the Main Atrium so the family could Floo over to the Leak Cauldron.

"Why are we being nice to Mr. Crouch now?" asked Ginny, once he was out of earshot.

"Ginny!" scolded her mum. "Your father still has to work with him!"

"Khari Burke's reach is far, dear," answered Arthur. "With him already showing an interest, that's going to make quite a few people hoping to make a profit by having a hand in your Match back off."

Ginny eyes widened at the implication. "So I'm safe until people find out I said no?"

Both Arthur and Molly let out a short laugh as the family stopped in front of one of the Atrium's many normal Floo Fires.

"Khari Burke doesn't take no easily," said her dad gently. "You can bet that you haven't heard the last from him or his boy."

A small swell of hope bubbled up and betrayed Ginny. That sounded like a guarantee she would at least see Imari again someday. Not that anything they offered would ever make her change her mind, however.

Molly went through the Floo Network first, yelling "Diagon Alley" into the flames. As Ginny stood there with her father, she didn't realize her mother had left her behind.

Her father indicated for Percy to go next, then Fred followed by George, and finally Ron. With a start, she realized it was just her and her father.

"You next."

Ginny's eyes widened as she looked up at her dad. "But, dad. Harry . . ."

"Had never traveled by Floo Powder before and didn't know what to expect. You've been doing this for years. Go on now." He motioned with his hand towards the fireplace.

Ginny tentatively reached for the Floo Powder container on the mantle, courtesy of the Ministry of Magic, and stepped into the fireplace. She couldn't take a deep breath, not unless she wanted to choke on a mouthful of soot. She wanted to do this right and she wanted to seem confident so she deliberately didn't look back to her father for one last reassuring glance. She threw down the powder and, as clearly as she could, yelled, "Diagon Alley!"

The spinning started immediately. She remembered to tuck in her elbows, and at first she clamped her eyes shut tightly before remembering she would need to see when she needed to get out.

Moments later she saw a sea of red streaking in flashes before her and she willed the spinning to stop. She tumbled out of the fireplace and looked wildly around from a cold stone floor when all movement finally stopped.

"HEY!" shouted the twins and Ron at the same time, throwing their hands in the air and celebrating Ginny's first solo Floo trip.

"Pick her up! Pick her up!" said their mum. "Your father will be along any moment and we should always have a clear path just in case!"

Fred and George grabbed one hand each and hauled Ginny to her feet for the second time that morning, patting her on the back in congratulations all the while. She didn't miss Fred passing George a silver Sickle though, and she gave George a grin for betting on her.

"Well done, sister," said Percy, who had taken Ginny's hand formally and shaken it as he'd spoken.

Ginny jerked her hand back, "Don't be weird, Perce. We just got back."

"Congratulations," said a voice behind Ginny that she hadn't heard in weeks.

"HERMIONE!" said Ron loudly. "When did you get here?"

"We came through the Muggle side just before Ginny came through the Floo Network."

"Thanks," said Ginny, quite a bit shyer than she had been moments before. If Ron and Hermione were in the same room, Harry wouldn't be far behind.

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger, welcome to Diagon Alley," began Percy.

"Perfect! Everyone's here!" interrupted Arthur Weasley. He had just come out of the fireplace.

Molly handed him a clothes brush to get the soot off and began to use another on Ginny.

"Tom, we'll take four rooms please," said Arthur.

Molly finished with Ginny and went to get Ron more thoroughly. Arthur leaned on the bar, closer to Tom the Innkeeper. "Close and around Mr. Potter's room, as discussed." Tom nodded once in understanding and turned around to get the room keys. "Has he come downstairs yet this morning?"

Ron and Hermione were in an animated conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Granger and the twins were already making fun of Percy for his sudden formalness.

Ginny took another page out of Emerson's book and slowly backed up closer to her father to hear Tom's answer while keeping a smile plastered on her face and her eyes on Percy and the twins, as though all of her attention was on them.

"Yes, sir." replied Tom the Innkeeper in a near mumble. "Rises early that one. He already had breakfast and went out the back door to Diagon Alley. Fortescue, Malkins, Wiseacre, and Ollivander take turns keeping an eye on him, depending on whose corner he wanders towards. Spends a lot of time with Florean, all the free ice cream I suspect." Ginny chanced a glance and watched her dad smile and give Tom the Innkeeper a nod in thanks.

"Any sightings or news of Black?" her dad practically whispered as he casually leaned on the bar and waved jovially to the Grangers.

Tom silently shook his head no.

"I'll check-in with the others then. Thanks, Tom."

Ginny heard the clunk of gold hit the counter and the scrape of it along the bar as Tom scooped it up.

Arthur turned around, "I have keys!" he announced loudly to everyone in the family.

"Sweet our own rooms!" shouted Fred.

"Can't wait to get away from you lot," said George. "No offense, mum, but that suite was getting small."

Molly took her copy of her shared room with Arthur and shooed the twins upstairs after everyone else to drop off their luggage before shopping for school supplies.

Ginny walked down the hall behind her family. Percy and Ron were the first to stop at their door and the twins were directly across from them. Arthur and Molly were next and Ginny looked at the room number across from them. Nope. One more set of rooms lay beyond at the end of the hall the family shared.

She opened one of the rooms beyond her parents' and dragged her trunk over to the bed closest to the windows. She opened the curtains and the view overlooked Muggle London. She watched as Muggles drove by in their automobiles and honked at each other. She'd never seen so many Muggles in one place before, besides tourists in Egypt.

She watched for a moment as these Muggles went about their regular daily business. They were far less talkative and interacted with each other less than those abroad on their holiday.

Hermione pushed the door Ginny had left unlocked open. "Hey." She dropped her trunk by the foot of the other bed and pulled a purse out of it. She also pulled out her wand and a wad of rolled up bits of paper and counted it before shoving it all into the purse. "I'm going to go see if Harry's awake yet."

"He left already," replied Ginny.

Hermione whipped around with a curious look.

"I heard Tom the Innkeeper tell my dad."

"Oh. Well, in that case I'll wait until your mum is ready to go." Without so much as a glance at her appearance, Hermione picked up her copy of the room key she'd laid down on the night stand by her bed and strolled back out into the hall.

Ginny slipped into the bathroom. There were soot marks all over her face still. She quickly grabbed one of the cloths from the rack and washed as much of it off as she could. Then she straightened out her ponytail and day robes. Satisfied her mother wouldn't find anything to fuss over, she grabbed her own copy of the room and key and followed Hermione out the door, firmly pulling it shut behind her.

"Were going to Ollivander's first? Right? Right, mum? Right?" asked Ron excitedly. Today was the day Ron was finally getting a replacement wand.

"We'll spend a few minutes looking for Harry first," said Molly, herding the twins ahead of her.

"We were just gonna meet Lee Jordan like usual," said George.

Ginny watched as her mum deliberated. Clearly she did not want the family separating while Black was still on the loose, however the prospect of herding five Weasley kids plus Hermione and eventually Harry altogether all day long was a daunting one.

"STAY IN PAIRS!" said her mum finally. "Fred, George, don't leave each other's sight. Ron, Hermione that goes for you two as well, I know you're going to want to wander off as soon as Ron gets his new wand and we find Harry. Percy, Ginny, that leaves you two with me."

Percy looked mortified.

"Unless, Percy has someone else he'd rather pair off with," snickered Fred.

"I'm sure with how often Hermes has been gone lately, there might be a _pretty Penny_ around here somewhere," smirked Ron. Hermione tilted her head in his direction with a questioning look.

Molly was busy counting bricks above the trash can.

"You know what they say, big brother," said George, joining in. "Find a Penny, pick _her_ up. All day long, you'll have good luck!"

"That's not—" started Hermione.

Ginny was closest and put a hand on Hermione's arm out of Molly's view to stop her from saying anything further. She met Hermione's brown eyes with her own and shook her head with a grin to indicate it was an inside joke she'd get privy to later.

Percy shrank behind them all and slid Ginny the nastiest stink-eye she knew he usually reserved exclusively for the twins.

While the bricks were receding away from each other and revealing the entrance to Diagon Alley, Ginny planted her feet, crossed her arms and stared back at Percy with a knowing smile on her face. He could choose to tell her off in the vicinity of their mother and out himself about what he was caught doing last Christmas or he could stay quiet and stew in his own embarrassment and anger.

Percy let out a deep frustrated sigh and chose to keep quiet.

They went to Gringotts first where Molly emptied the family vault and Hermione exchanged her Muggle money for gold. Harry was nowhere to be found. After getting some spending money, the twins took off to find Lee Jordan.

Ron started to lead the way to Ollivanders.

"Mother," Percy halted the family. "Ginny and I can return the Lockhart books and pick up our new ones for this year while Ron is fitted for a wand." Flourish and Blotts regularly took gently used textbooks for resale and this was the first year the Weasleys would have books to turn back in.

"Stepping into your big brothers' shoes and helping the family out already," their mum patted Percy on the cheek and passed him the spelled feather-light bag of books.

Ginny tried to tell her mum with her eyes not to let her go but Molly simply turned around with Ron and Hermione and shepherded them to the wand shop.

Percy grabbed Ginny's shoulder and spun her around.

"You said you wouldn't tell anyone about Penny, but I've had to hear penny jokes from Ron and the twins all summer," he said accusingly.

"_You_ said you owed me one and didn't deliver," Ginny retorted just as fiercely.

"You wanted me to abuse my power. I don't break the rules."

"Just what do you think '_owing me one'_ would have consisted of?" asked Ginny. "I wouldn't have wasted it on something like you doing my homework."

"I wouldn't have _done_ your homework for you either," said Percy.

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Because that's also against the rules? Well, guess what? Rules should be broken! Especially for family when peoples' lives are in danger!"

"I didn't know that at the time," hissed Percy. "If you had told me the whole story _and then_ asked me to confiscate it, _it wouldn't have been against the rules!_"

"Or maybe, you should've just paid attention to and _trusted_ your sister when she needed you!" snapped Ginny. She spun on her heel and stomped off down the street. She was tired of everyone's logic that telling someone would've been the smart route to go. If she had known Tom Riddle grew up to be He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named she would've told someone in a heartbeat!

"We're supposed to stay together!" shouted Percy, chasing after her.

Ginny lost him by doubling back and walking with a few tall people between herself and Percy while Percy kept searching ahead. Once Percy wasn't looking her way she ducked into the first shop available and nearly ran straight into Dennis Creevey.

Little Dennis's eyes lit up at the sight of her. "HI GI— "

Ginny pulled little Dennis to her and clamped a hand around his mouth. The shop's door was still wide open.

She leaned down and said quietly, "I'm hiding from my brother. Is Colin here?"

Little Dennis nodded excitedly behind her hand.

Ginny let him go and looked over her shoulder and out the shop's picture window. Percy was nowhere in sight.

They were in an Apothecary.

"Where else do we need to go?" asked Mr. Creevey.

Colin stepped out from the other side of his father. He was so small Ginny hadn't seen him at first.

"Flourish and Blotts. It's across the street and I still need my books . . . the list isn't as long as last year." Colin looked up from his list and spotted Ginny. "Whoa!"

Ginny had been about to give Colin a hug but stopped short at his expression.

"What?" she asked.

Both little Dennis and Mr. Creevey waited for Colin to answer but he didn't seem to know what to say.

"You're super freckly!" piped up Dennis.

"Oh!" Ginny laughed. "Yeah, we've been in Egypt."

"Are you here alone?" asked Mr. Creevey, glancing around the shop.

"No, my mum is with one of my brothers at Ollivander's wand shop and my other brother is headed to Flourish and Blotts."

"You have to go to Flourish and Blotts too?" asked Colin, perking up even more at the prospect of spending more time with Ginny after being separated all summer.

"I thought you were hiding from your brother?" asked Dennis. "Which brother? Your big brother?"

Ginny laughed again. "They're all my big brothers."

"Your older brother is just getting a wand?" Dennis's puzzled face was adorable.

"He broke his old one last year," clarified Colin. "You're talking about Ron right?"

Ginny nodded. She missed Colin and seeing him interact with Dennis and Mr. Creevey was charming.

"It's been long enough," she said to Dennis. "I don't need to hide anymore. Besides, I need to be found before my mother finds out I was even hiding." She gave a sheepish glance towards Mr. Creevey.

He raised an eyebrow but let out a laugh of his own, "Let's get you over to the bookstore."

Percy was just finishing up collecting gold for turning in Lockhart's books. Ginny had pulled out her school list and flashed it at him as soon as he noticed her walk in with the Creeveys.

Percy gave the Creeveys a sweeping look, paused on Colin, who he recognized, and gave Ginny a nod of understanding. She had come back like a good younger sibling and he would consider them being in the same shop as close enough to following their mother's rule of sticking together in pairs.

Dennis immediately drifted over to a giant cage with books inside that seemed to be ripping each other apart.

"Oh no!" A melodious laugh carried over the general din of the bookshop from the far side of the cage.

One of the books was flipped over onto its spine and another was ripping out its pages.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" The shopkeeper yanked the two books apart. It took effort as he had to do it with a pair of dragonhide gloves on and afterwards selected one not yet damaged and removed it from the cage.

He held it tightly shut and went to hand it to a girl with long brown hair in a high, neat ponytail. The girl's eyes went huge and she leaned away from the snapping book.

The girl with the melodious laugh was next to her and let out another bellow. She reached up to her hair where there was a thick green ribbon and pulled it out. She shook her now free hair to resettle it and forcefully bound the thick ribbon around the snapping book. She then took it from the shopkeeper and handed it to the older girl with the ponytail. The older girl reluctantly took the now muffled book and put it in with the rest of her purchases and followed the shopkeeper to the counter.

The smaller one turned towards Ginny and the Creeveys and Ginny finally recognized her. Astoria Greengrass. Gone was Astoria's mussed and mousy hair from a few weeks ago. Today it was down and clearly spelled straight and neat with what looked like a recent trim on the ends.

Her luminous blue eyes lit up at the sight of Ginny. "Hi! You're Ash's friend, the Gryffindor. You were at the Quidditch match in the Sahara a few weeks ago." She let her gaze swing back and forth between Ginny and the Creeveys, "Gryffindors," she stressed the plural. "You must be Colin?"

Ginny smiled back and nodded, "Yeah, I remember you." She looked in Colin's direction, remembering how kind and talkative he was to both her and Ash when he'd first met them.

Colin's eyes were glued to Astoria's and for a moment Ginny was reminded at how still he was while petrified when he failed to reply.

Too much time passed, the dead air was getting awkward.

"Yes," said Ginny glancing up at Mr. Creevey to see if he knew what was going on with Colin and saw he was only grinning down at his son who didn't seem able to breathe properly. "This is Colin, and his little brother Dennis and their father. Colin this is Astoria, she's starting at Hogwarts this year - according to Ash," clarified Ginny.

Astoria nodded excitedly. "Are you also starting this year?" she asked Dennis.

Dennis chanced a glance at Colin as well, "No."

"Next year?"

Dennis just shrugged.

Confusion crossed Astoria's features for a moment at Dennis's answer.

"STORY! I'm not carrying all of your books as well!" Daphne had finished paying for their books.

"I have to go. It was nice meeting all of you."

"Nice . . . you," stammered Colin.

Ginny had never seen Colin trip over his words so much, not even the first time he'd attempted to talk to Harry Potter and had asked for a signed photo.

"Good luck at the Sorting," replied Ginny.

"Thanks." Astoria gave them one last smile and went to fetch her bags from the shopkeeper's counter. Daphne gave them a curious look as the swept by out the door and curled her lip in disgust when she realized who Astoria had been talking to.

When they were out of earshot Ginny and Mr. Creevey burst into laughter.

"_NICE YOU!"_ mocked Dennis.

"Is that what I said?" asked Colin, his face evolving into a look of panic. "It was like my brain shut off!"

Ginny knew that feeling all too well. It was exactly how she felt last summer whenever Harry Potter was around and it had only intensified during the school year once she'd figured out what it meant.

"Did you say she's starting at Hogwarts this year?" Colin peered out the book shop's picture window to catch one last glance, but the Greengrass sisters were already long gone.

"Yep, so you're gonna see her everyday starting tomorrow," giggled Ginny. "Imagine if she makes Gryffindor!"

Colin swung his gaze to meet Ginny's, "I _never_ made fun of you!" he admonished her with the tiniest amount of hurt in his eyes.

Ginny's smile faded as she realized he was right. Only Ash ever ribbed her for her crush on Harry.

"She's already Ash's friend. You picked a good one," being supportive was easy enough, all she had to do was channel Colin himself.

"Don't worry, son," chuckled Mr. Creevey. "Freezing up is completely normal."

Both Colin and Dennis got disgusted looks on their faces and shook their heads. "Dad we're in public," they whined simultaneously trying to avoid any coming of age talk.

Percy finished gathering his books for his coming year of NEWTS and started a pile for all the Weasleys to add to until their mum could pay for it all at once. Afterwards he went to go browse other sections while he and Ginny waited for their mum, Ron, and Hermione.

The shopkeeper turned to Ginny and the Creevey's, "Hogwarts third years or up?" All four of them shook their heads no. An immense look of relief overcame the shopkeepers face. "What can I get you?"

Colin looked at his list, "The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 and The Dark Forces, A Guide to Self-Protection."

"Second years!" The shopkeeper smiled and looked at Dennis next.

"I'm not—" began Dennis.

"Old enough, to go to school yet," finished Colin.

Ginny looked at Colin with furled eyebrows for a split second before schooling her face back to normal.

Ron and Hermione bounced into the bookshop both looking supremely pleased followed closely by Molly. Hermione was clearly happy to be in a book shop as her gaze was quickly darting around and settled on the newly published section and Ron was still holding his brand new wand.

"Look!" He sprinted over to Ginny. "Willow, unicorn hair, and fourteen inches!" he said excitedly.

"Put it away, Ronald!" scolded their mum.

Ron sighed in response and slipped his new wand into a pocket in his robes. Molly checked that both Percy and Ginny and were in the store before disappearing again to wrangle the twins so she could pay for all their books at the same time.

"You kids stick together while I find your brothers. Shouldn't be too hard, I saw the new broom in the window when I walked by Quality Quidditch Supplies," she said to Ron, Ginny, and Hermione.

"New broom!" Ginny looked at her mum with pleading eyes to see it before they went back to the Leaky Cauldron.

"I can hang out with them all until you get back," volunteered Mr. Creevey. "We're almost finished for the day and I'm sure they wouldn't mind spending more time together."

"Thank you," replied Molly appreciatively. "I shouldn't be more than a few minutes.

The shopkeeper came back with two sets of second-year books for Ginny and Colin. Ginny took hers and placed them on top of Percy's pile on the counter.

"Hogwarts? Third years or up?" the shopkeeper asked Ron and Hermione when he'd finished ringing up Colin's books.

They both nodded yes.

"You're not taking Care of Magical Creatures by chance are you?"

"Yes, we both are," replied Hermione who was consulting her list. She looked up just in time to see the shopkeeper let out a little squeak of exasperation before making his way back to the cage filled with books tearing each other apart. It was the last day of the summer holiday and by now the cage was mostly filled with loose papers and spines attached to half chewed jackets. Only the most aggressive monster books were still fully intact.

The shopkeeper practically threw the first snapping little beast at Ron who held it at arm's length trying to keep it from biting his nose. Hermione had a rare look of panic when the shopkeeper tried to hand one to her next.

"Percy!" shouted Ron loudly. "Percy! You're taking every class! What did you do with your crazy book!"

Percy peeked from around one of the shelving stacks. He saw Ron and Hermione's predicament and lazily withdrew his wand and conjured ropes around the two books from thin air.

"I thought you couldn't do magic outside of school?" asked little Dennis.

"Percy turned seventeen a few days ago, he can do magic whenever he wants now," explained Ginny.

"What if she's not in Gryffindor though?" asked Colin, who was worlds away in his mind.

Ginny and Dennis shared a look and both tried hard not to laugh.

"Should we ask her to sit with us on the train tomorrow?"

"I'm sure she'll sit with her sister," said Ginny.

"You didn't sit with your brothers," pointed out Colin.

"That's because you saved me a spot already," said Ginny with a grin.

"I could save her a spot."

Ginny gave up and shook her head. Clearly Colin wasn't going to drop the subject any time soon. She looked at Dennis, "If we're not careful, Colin's going to come home with a girlfriend next summer." Dennis scrunched up his face in disgust at the idea but Colin didn't seem to notice. He still had a far away look in his eye.

Ron and Hermione came back from the counter where Hermione had purchased her books and Ron had added his to Percy and Ginny's pile. Hermione had two large bags filled to bursting. The shopkeeper began the long process of ringing up the Weasleys' single large purchase on one of the far registers off to the side and bagged them according to student so they would be closer to finished before more customers came in.

"Are you telling them about Percy's girlfriend?" asked Ron gleefully.

"What girlfriend?" asked Hermione, eyes lighting up at the new information.

"No, I haven't," laughed Ginny.

Ron turned to Hermione but kept Colin and Dennis in his audience loop. "Percy's been writing secret letters to someone the last two summers and Ginny found out who last Christmas when she walked into a dark empty classroom and found Percy with hands up the shirt of another prefect!"

"Who!" asked Hermione conspiratorially, she was excited at the news and didn't bother to keep her voice down.

"Yes. Who?" asked a cold voice who'd just walked back into the book store.

Ginny's heart caught in her chest, and by the look of it so did Ron's and everyone else's in the little group they were standing in.

Both Ginny and Ron turned around sheepishly to find their mother directly behind them with Fred and George in tow, both of whom were trying their best to look astonished at the news as though they'd never heard it before.

When Ron didn't answer right away Molly furled her eyebrows for a moment before a look of realization dawned on her features.

"Penny jokes. Her name is Penny. Another prefect. Penelope Clearwater, the prefect who was Petrified with you two," she looked between Hermione and Colin. Neither one of them could confirm because Ron hadn't gotten that far along in his story yet. Molly whipped around to confront the twins. "You two knew about this?" she demanded.

"Um," stuttered Fred.

"Well," managed George.

"Yes. You two have been the ones making the majority of the jokes, in fact the only one who I never heard made a joke was Ginny and yet," she turned back around to face Ron and Ginny and the rest of the younger kids, "you're the one who caught them and didn't say anything?"

Officially caught in concealing information, Ginny could only stare and grasp at tendrils of half-formed apologies.

"Hermione?"

Hermione looked mortified but looked up to meet Molly's eyes.

"Did you finish your book purchases?" It was a benign question but there was no doubt Molly was seething in anger.

Hermione nodded.

"Ron, fetch your books. Hermione take Ron, find Harry, and make sure the boys finish all their shopping. Meet us back at the Leaky Cauldron for dinner."

"Yes, ma'am," said Hermione quietly. Grabbing Ron by the shoulder and dragging him outta the shop.

"George."

It was George's turn to meet his mother's eyes.

"You and Fred are taking the same classes again?"

George also nodded.

"Give me your booklist. You'll still have Fred's. You two take your sister to see the new broom."

Sensing the tension, Mr. Creevey came out from behind another shelving stack with a book called _Magic Made Easy_ in his hand.

"If it would help, I'll go with them to the Quidditch store." He quickly reshelved the book.

"Thank you, again," said Molly, her teeth getting grittier and grittier the longer she was handing out directions.

Fred grabbed Ginny's hand and hauled her behind him while George put one on her shoulder to steer her out the door, the Creeveys following in their wake.

"PERCY!"

Hearing Percy's name mixed with that tone of their mum's voice was a rare occurrence in the Weasley household.

"Kinda wish we could hear the whole thing," said Fred wistfully.

"We will," said George, "When she's done yelling at him and it's our turn."

"Is it the first steady girlfriend for any of your brothers?" asked Mr. Creevey.

Ginny and the twins stopped and studied each others' faces as they pondered the answer.

"Bill had lots of girls," said Fred, waggling his eyebrows.

"Every girl who took an interest in Charlie only did so to get close to Bill," said George offhandedly. "Just like every girl who pretends to like Fred just wants to get to know me," he joked. Fred threw him an arm punch and George took off into the Quidditch shop to avoid it.

"There was one girl who Charlie was close to in school who ignored Bill," said Ginny. "Charlie never talked about her much though and after they graduated he stopped talking about her altogether."

"Did they stop being friends?" asked Colin worriedly.

Ginny shrugged. "I think, Charlie has just been focusing on school in Romania. He said she started new classes as well, something in the Ministry."

"It's hard to stay close when you're so far apart for so long," acknowledged Mr. Creevey.

"But yeah," said Ginny. "I think Penny is actually the first long term girlfriend any of my brothers have ever had. When we were in Egypt neither Bill nor Charlie mentioned anyone special."

Ginny and the Creeveys made it to the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. It was early afternoon and lots of families were doing last minute back to school shopping. The shop was packed with unfamiliar faces of young witches and wizards too young to go to Hogwarts yet and a few faces Ginny recognized from the corridors, but no one from her year apart from herself and Colin.

She watched as Colin tried to discreetly look around as well. No doubt hoping for another glimpse of the younger Greengrass sister. However, neither one of them were in sight either.

That's when she saw it.

Everything in the store went quiet to Ginny's senses as she focused on the brand new broom called The Firebolt on display and read its description.

"_**. . . state-of-the-art racing broom . . . diamond-hard polish . . . aerodynamic perfection . . . unsurpassable balance and pinpoint precision. . . . Price on request." **_**(1)**

The broom was gorgeous. It made the Nimbus she got to ride just a few short days ago look like something you would sweep the kitchen floor with.

"Ginny!"

She jumped as Colin put his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. Suddenly it was like the volume of the general din inside the shop was turned all the way back up.

"What?"

She tore her eyes away from the superb broom to focus on her best friend.

"Wow!" said Dennis, eyes shining. "She was looking at the broom like you were looking at that girl!" he teased.

Colin briefly narrowed his eyes at his little brother before returning his attention back to Ginny.

"I said, are you going to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year? Now that you're a second year?" said Colin.

"Oh, I don't know. I mean, Oliver didn't have tryouts last year and he still has his same line-up this year so he may not have tryouts again. Besides," she sighed heavily, "I don't have my own proper broom."

"Hmm," Colin seemed to be pondering that dilema. "What kind of broom are you looking for?"

Ginny jokingly gazed longingly at the Firebolt.

"Other than that. You know, if you're mum were shopping for one for you?"

"Mum wouldn't buy me a broom. Too dangerous for her little girl." Ginny rolled her eyes. Nevertheless she looked around the shop.

"Here, this one," she said.

Colin, Dennis, and even Mr. Creevey, who'd been half listening while examining everything in the shop, walked over to see which broom Ginny would happily settle for.

"The Comet Two Sixty," she breathed.

"Looks like the Two Seventy is coming out in a few months," mentioned Colin, nodding at a sign next to the Comet.

"There's a new model every year. If I could convince my parents to get me a Quidditch broom, the latest Comet is what I would ask for."

"Looks pretty compared to the Cleansweeps," said Dennis, indicating the latest Cleansweep nearby.

Ginny flicked one of her eyebrows at the Cleansweep section.

"All my brothers ride Cleansweeps. Even Charlie had one when he played Seeker for Gryffindor."

Colin narrowed his eyes, "Is that why you want a Comet? To be different?"

"Of course," replied Ginny, she glanced at the twins who were still ogling the Firebolt. Their friend Lee Jordan had seen them through the shop window and was now doing the same while catching up with them. She turned back to the Comet Two Sixty. "I mean, sure," she continued, "the Cleansweeps can get up to speed faster and are great for chasing balls like Bludgers and Snitches, but Comets are more agile. Turning them, flipping direction, rolling through the air, and trick riding are all far easier on a Comet. Chasers have to be agile you know."

Colin smiled and shook his head. He may have only spent two months with her and Ash at school last year, but he'd still heard plenty of times that Ginny wanted to be a Chaser because it was a position none of her brothers had played.

"Mum's ready for us, little sister," said George, wrapping his arm around Ginny's neck and half dragging her to the front of the store while she fought him off.

"Ew!" exclaimed Fred. "Was she looking at a Comet?" he gave her a mock-disgusted look and followed George to the front of the store. George stopped to bump elbows with Lee Jordan to say good-bye and Ginny broke free by stomping on his foot while he was distracted.

She saw her mum had indeed been beckoning to them through the shop window, a defeated looking Percy in tow, and she could feel her ponytail had been pulled lopsided in the struggle with George. She shook out the strands of hair that had become static-stuck to her face.

"I gotta go!" she called to the Creeveys. "I'll see you tomorrow on the train!"

"I'll save you a spot!" hollered Colin with a wave from him and Dennis. Mr. Creevey was still reading up on the literature of brooms available in Britain on the signs in the shop and didn't notice the Weasley kids' disappearance. He must've noticed the silence however, as he turned around at the last second and also gave Ginny a friendly wave good-bye through the window.

"Let's move!" growled their mum. "Everyone into Madam Malkins! It was supposed to be a happy surprise that everyone got one single set of brand new robes, but now when we go in there you will all enter quietly! Then you will line up quietly! And then you will stand perfectly still while you wait to get measured, while it's your turn to get measured, and while everyone else gets measured! Am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," they all said sullenly and simultaneously.

Ginny tried to lag behind with Percy and catch his eye to see how bad of a thrashing he'd gotten, but he kept his eyes hard and he only stared at the ground directly in front of them even while they walked to Madam Malkins.

: : : : :

They had spent hours in the robe shop, but eventually the tension in the family eased. By the end of the final sale even Molly was partaking in poking fun at her children over the overdeal.

"I'm almost ashamed of you twins," she joked. "Always thought one of you would've been the first one I had to tell-off about the way you treated a girl."

"What?" said Fred, indignantly.

"Not Bill?" asked Percy.

"Please," laughed Ginny. "He's too smooth to ever be _caught_."

"It's the quiet ones you gotta watch out for," said George. He reached over and mussed Ginny ponytail for a second time, "Little Sister is pretty quiet," he said with a wink while she glared back and pulled her hair down to fix it yet again.

"Sounded like Penny didn't think she was being treated poorly . . ." commented Fred.

"Excuse me!" said Percy. "Don't make her out to be some sort of . . . scarlet woman!"

Ginny and the twins knew he was being serious, but the use of one of their mother's old-fashioned phrases broke them into a fit of giggles.

"That's not what we're saying, dear," said their mum, trying to hold back a laugh herself. "But promise me you won't spend this year sneaking around anymore. You treat that girl proper and have your relationship in the public."

"Yes, ma'am," agreed Percy a bit sheepishly.

"That goes for all of you," continued their mum as they left the shop and headed back to the Leaky Cauldron for dinner. "If you truly care about someone, don't hide them away!"

Inside the Leaky Cauldron it appeared they had arrived right after Ron, Harry, and Hermione did.

Harry glanced at the five Weasleys who'd just walked in with familiarity and paused on Ginny. He gave her a smile and Ginny wondered for a moment if he was actually pleased to see her, but no, the concern that also flitted over his face told her he was only pleased to see she was still in no immediate danger like she'd been in last year.

Nevertheless, it was the most direct attention she'd ever gotten from him outside of a life-threatening situation and it stopped her in her tracks. She thought maybe after being so close to Imari, that being around Harry would be easier but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Instead of being more confident, she retreated further into herself. Knowing what it was like to connect with someone interested in you, what it was like to hold their hand, to have them pull you close so only you could hear their words illuminated the stark differences between Imari and Harry and it was clear they were virtually nothing alike.

Imari was open, inviting, comfortable with exactly who he was and his plans for his future, and he put all people in his vicinity at ease. Harry was warm, sure, but there was a wall few penetrated and he kept that wall locked down tight and Ginny was trapped on the opposite side of that wall.

**She went very red and muttered, "Hello," without looking at him. Percy, however, held out his hand solemnly as though he and Harry had never met and said, "Harry. How nice to see you."**

"**Hello, Percy," said Harry, trying not to laugh. (2)**

The twins, still in high-spirits, started to attack Percy once more on his new found austerity; but Ginny noticed what her father, who'd been sitting at the bar visiting the trio before the rest of them had walked in, had laid down on the bar.

It was today's copy of the _Daily Prophet_ and on the cover was a picture of a man with a gaunt face and hair longer than her own full of mats. His eyes looked hollow, almost like . . . she had to look away. She silently drew a deep breath and let it out slowly.

His eyes looked hollow like Tom Riddle's.

Her mum was telling Harry about Percy becoming Head Boy now and that neither of the twins were made prefects.

"**What do we want to be prefects for?" said George, looking revolted at the very idea. "It'd take all the fun out of life." (3)**

Ginny cued up a giggle for the family. Just enough to not catch their full attention. She wanted to get another uninterrupted look at her father's newspaper.

Black's eyes were indeed hollow like he'd lost all sense of hope. However, instead of the malice she'd seen in Tom's in the Chamber of Secrets, Black's were only full of anger.

"**Ginny's got other brothers to set her an example, Mother," said Percy, loftily. "I'm going up to change for dinner. . . ." (4)**

Percy disappeared upstairs to the corridor of rooms the Weasleys' were currently dominating and Ginny quietly followed.

The normalcy of being in trouble today for making fun of Percy all summer had successfully masked the very real danger currently loose in the wizarding world right now.

Ginny had been looking forward to going back to school and forgetting all the events that had unfolded over the summer in Egypt. Seeing Black's face had changed her mind. Scheming to steal an inheritance was suddenly a much happier existence than one where He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was once again one step closer to coming back.

PoA 51, condensed because Ginny has read so many broom descriptions in her lifetime that she really only looks for the highlights now.

PoA 62

PoA 62

PoA 63


End file.
